Who is Jesus?

Who is Jesus?
Which Denomination has the “dibs” on Him?

by
Alvin Mitchell

This question is the heart cry of many today—including a (I presume, young) Congolese man who gives his name as
Suleyman Watchwa. Suleyman is a theology student living in South Africa, studying and struggling as he seeks and
sifts through what he perceives as the “traduction” (by which I assume he means “slander”) “of the Bible and the
Scriptures”. Toward this end, this young seeker poses several provocative questions sent to me via e-mail, early
this morning (11/21/04): 1) “…who is Jesus?…, 2) “…where are we going…and 3) what is the reality of this?” 4)
“…why are we divided in so many denomination….?”

One might say there is a long answer and a short answer to all of these. The short answer is that Jesus Christ is
now God in human flesh, who in the beginning was God in Spirit, creator of everything that is, who for love of His
fallen creature mankind (who could not possible save himself), demonstrated that love by “morphing” or allowing
Himself to be transformed permanently into one of like these (His) creatures so as to die in their places to save them
from an eternal destruction from which they otherwise could not extricate themselves. The reality is, we are all now
going in the very direction He said we would: our own as opposed to God’s. The different denominations are
merely a by-product of the different roads we have selected by which to flee the presence of God, in hope (and
under the foolish presumption) that we will ultimately wind up back in His favor, on our terms (ain’t gonna happen,
but that’s what a lot of us think!), not His.

Let us begin the long answer by observing that “denominations” and/or “scholars”—sifting through stacks of
centuries old opinions (and even some modern ones), themselves the work and product of ignorance, apathy and/or
indifference—do not define or decide who Jesus is. Scholars—assuming they have ever invested any significant,
meaningful study to begin with—typically do not understand or believe the very Book they live to critique and criticize
(that very Book, being it which by its prevailing magnificent stand against all odds, provides them never ending
jobs—like no other “religious” work can, has or ever will—and in some cases a very fine living!) and so are robbed
and short changed of the only objective, unbiased source available to them, right off the starting block. All the
denominations, on the other hand, use the same Bible, which is of course the only viable, credible source of the
Jesus of history. With rare exception, all their Bibles, and the information and stories they convey are exactly,
identically the same—none of which has changed much, if at all in the Book’s roughly 2000 to 4000 year lifespan.
Hence, the Bibles of one denomination portray the Christ in the same light as does the Bibles of another
denomination. The denominational differences therefore, lie chiefly in the way in which different groups of people
“choose” to handle and/or respond to the information they encounter (when they do encounter it!) contained within
and throughout the pages of Holy Writ. The chief or principle ground for the differences is their respective refusals
to see and accept that information the way it is presented by God in His Word. This, as we shall see, is nothing
new. Jesus Himself has given advance warning to us all, as have the apostles in their epistles to the early
churches. Neither He nor His disciples had died before seeing the very “divisions”, differences of opinions about
which they themselves prophesied.

So, then, all said, having been said, “who in fact was Jesus”?

Jesus Christ is the name epitomizing and, which is applied to a concept, born in the heart and mind of God before He even laid the foundation of the world and
universe, or built the man who would ultimately “fall”, within its confines (I Cor. 2:7-9; Eph. 1:4; II Tim. 1:9, 10; Titus 1:2; II Thes. 2:13, 14; I Pe. 1:18-21). (Click
here on “Gospel at a Glance” for a brief but thorough discussion of Jesus.)

Where are we going, in the wake of what God wants mankind to know verses what people choose to believe? Well, simply put, we are going or headed in exactly
the same direction Jesus said we would. False apostles and false prophets, said He—i.e., men and women preaching and teaching, peddling and pandering,
their own brand, spin and mix of Him and His message—will, as they have, come. Having come, they are having themselves a field day—a bonanza, even.
“Watch out (be alert) for false prophets,” He told His disciples in the early days of their walk with Him, “for they will come to you walking, looking, speaking and
sounding like the real deal (Matt. 7:15-20).” What ever their outward appearances (which will to a degree be convincing), Jesus warns, they will always operate
on and according to some “hidden”, self-serving agenda. No matter how crafty, however, they will always be discernable. “They will make themselves known to
you by their fruits”, Jesus, advises and cautions. The expression “beware” (Grk. “prosecho”, to hold the mind toward; to be cautious about; pay attention to)
means the Christian not only has a right to recognize them, but that expression is also a “command”, which means we have an obligation to be constantly on
guard, so as to be able to spot them when they come. The suggestion in the Greek word furthermore, is such that the Christians’ every thought and effort is to
be devoted to the endeavor to spot and keep false Christs at bay.

Paul’s warning to all Christians mirrors and virtually adds graphics to ours Lord’s (II Cor. 11:13-15). To the problem prone saints at Corinth—beloved, no less
and occupants within his highest concern--his admonition highlights phony apostles as “pseudo-Christian” workers whose craft is deceit. That they have an
innate ability to morph themselves into convincing replicas of Jesus’ apostles and ministers of righteous is really no shocker—he says—given that their “boss”
the devil, Satan (his hellish nature and disposition notwithstanding), is very much capable of transfigurations which resemble “angels of light” (like worker, like
boss, guess you might say (Hosea 4:9)). Peter pictures him (the devil) as being ever on the prowl (treading all around), like a “howling” lion, looking for his next
victim (the “roaring” suggests that not only are his victims not too bright, but, neither is he, given that any bonafide “lion” knows never to roar before he has his
prey—that would or should alert one of his presence! This is, again, in keeping with the Lord’s teaching—you will know them by their living or habits—which
means then that however difficult they are to spot, Satan and his henchmen are not altogether nondescript.).

While the term “karpos”, or fruits, could be construed to be a reference to the way they live, that understanding simply would not be complete without inclusion of
the things they teach, or the way they handle and/or twist and pervert the Word of God so as to further and accomplish their deviant ends. Not only will their
lives not square with the Word and Will of God, but, neither will the things the teach and preach, i.e., the sum total their “beliefs” or spiritual ideology. By these,
they are able to deceive and mislead many, some of whom like themselves, will not submit to the clear teaching of the Word of the God in whom they profess to
believe. Moreover, herein, lies the reason and the basis for all the different denominational misgivings in terms of the “who” of Jesus. They have chosen to
accept and exercise about Him a “head knowledge” of their own making, regardless of what the Bible says. Wander into some Sunday schools and Bibles
studies—even among the so-called “mainline denominations, including the Baptists—and one cannot but be amazed (maybe even appalled) at the “mess, or
messes” that people (prideful, in light of their intellectual and academic achievements; seeing themselves as intelligent, thinking people) who call themselves
Christians can and do willfully make of what could be an otherwise really good time of study. In keeping with Paul’s admonition to Timothy, in II Tim. 4:3-4, church
people today simply do not care what the Word of God says, and yet having ears that ever itch for that spiritual “something”, they hire teachers and preachers
who will tell them what they want to hear, the Word of the Lord (they say effectively) be “damned”. They go to church on Sunday, get involved in all manner of
church related activity then and at other times (in their respective denominations) but, all the while their presence and lot in the eyes of the Almighty is such “they
are a people who sit before Me as My people” (Isa. 29:13; Eze. 33:31; Mt. 15:8,9), “yet”—to the degree that they will not submit to the Will of the Father, to same
degree or greater—“their hearts, minds and wills are far from Me”.

Why do we have all the different denominations, you ask, Suleyman? Reconsider the foregoing argument as we move on to nine different, distinct attitudes or
spiritual mindsets manifested by the “so-called” people of God (as “co-authored” and set forth by our Lord Himself and the apostle Paul), and observed constantly
by Him who sits in the heavenlies (Psalm 7:9; 11:4-5; 14:2; 33:13-18; Proverbs 5:21; Malachi 4:16). These are not the unsaved, mind you, as they are rather
“church” people, the body of Christ—which for whatever and any number of reasons and in as many different ways—are recognized only for their (not faults or
shortcomings in their daily walks, no, but for their) lack luster, non-committal performances, in which they did their “own thing”, calling that service to God, rather
than taking up the yoke of Christ, and learning of Him (Matt. 11:28-30). These are the kinds of mindsets which under gird and power the formation of the various
denominations. The resurrected Jesus, in a vision to John the apostle while exiled on the island of Patmos, cited six more of these (seven it we count the two
“faithful” churches)(at which we will look later). Based on these observations, then, one might well argue that the churches of God, not unlike the twelve tribes of
Israeli, fresh out of Egypt—thanks to the frailties of and the hard heartedness of men—were in trouble right off the block. Where are they “going”, Mr. Watchwa?

Our Risen Lord would have us all know and understand that the end for the “unfaithful church” will be the same as that of those who never believed (again, these
are not the unsaved or, just weak Christians who have made mistakes or stumbled and fell somewhere along the line, as rather these are actual “believers” who
made conscious decisions—in light of what they knew—to “structure” their lives and “Christian” walk so as to “weed” out those aspects of His Word, Will and
involvement deemed by them to be undesirable. Plenty of churches and their people fill this mold, today!). As we take a brief look at all of these, notice our Lord
never once denounces them as being “unbelievers”, as rather they are recognized as “believers” who refused to submit to “watering” and “pruning” (Luke 13:6-10;
Jn.15:1-10) according to the Word of God, on which account they never bought forth fruit, meet for the Master’s use (in light of the “whitened” fields, ever ready for
harvesting, He needs them so that He can harvest more “fruit” for His Kingdom Coming).

Characteristics of the unfaithful, non-submissive church are as follows:
1.        Church busy-bodies (Matt. 7:21-23): busy for God, yet God does not know them
2.        Unchurched believer (Matt. 22:1-14): hears and understands the call, refuses to respond, though he does not necessarily disbelieve; expects to be
accepted by God, nonetheless (does not directly contribute to “denominationalism”, I must confess, since he is not actively involved in any church)
3.        Pastoral renegades (Matt. 24:42-51): begins well only to end his ministry, having forsook the things of the Lord and the concerns of his flock so as to give
his full attention to self-indulgence
4.        Church procrastinators (Matt. 25:1-13): contrasted against the backdrop of those saints who “wait” (work) in full anticipation of the Lord’s imminent
return, these believers while away the time, effectively, in frivolous pursuits
5.        Unwise investors (Matt. 25:14-30; Luke 19:11-27): those Christians having talents which could be pressed into service for the Master, but who meet the call
to action only with excuses, constantly underestimating the value, and worth of their service, as, in their hearts, they question or challenge the fairness of the Lord’
s request
6.        Churched but unproductive (Luke 13:10-16; John 15:1-10): these are actual non-fruit bearing believers who, somewhat like the unwise investors, for
what ever the reason, simply don’t produce
7.        Lover’s of praise (John 9:22; 12:43): these actually do believe as well, but are more subject to and controlled by the praise, applause, whelms and
whammies of men (family, friends, government, employers, apostate churches, etc.), than by the God of their calling
8.        Inquiring minds (II Tim. 3:1-7; 4:1-3): these “Christians” long for and are always on the hunt for spiritual truth and enlightenment, but are never quite able
to “connect” with what God wants them to know
9.        Backstabbers (I Tim. 4:1-3; I Pe. 2:1-3, 18-22): these Christians are like the seeds (the bad ones) in Jesus’ parable of the sower—they made their original
professions of faith, garnered reputations as followers of Christ, only to later (for any number of reasons) turn their backs altogether, speak contrary to the very
faith they once embraced.

While as one can see, these may not be “exact” fits, it is no less these types of mindsets and attitudes which fuel denominationalism. Churched though they may
well be, believers even, yet for one reason or the other, one way or the other, they will not submit to the will and the authority of the Almighty. This, Suleyman, is
why we have, and will continue to have “denominations”.

The attitudes manifested by the congregations and highlighted by our Lord in the Book of the Revelation are even more compelling and instructive, as they open
up (as it were) another dimension, thus giving what might well be termed a consolidated, condensed perspective on God’s view of the churches—thereby
heightening the urgency. Here our Lord singles out seven different, distinct “denominations” or trains of thought characterizing “His body” within the first one
hundred years following His resurrection and ascension, and which are typical of how the churches operate and function at this hour. This scenario also illustrates
that while a particular congregation can be doing many things right and well in the Lord’s eyes, on the one hand, it can still be totally out of fellowship with God and
in grave danger of rejection and banishment or consignment to an eternity in hell fire and brimstone, on the other. Good done in the Name of Jesus Christ cannot
and will not over shadow a life or lives lived in disregard and/or disdain for the Word and Will of God (There are many, many churches amongst us which put on
spectacular, near flawless, “fronts” but, they cannot stomach the teaching of the Bible, the whole Word!). It also shows that at no point and under no circumstances
ever do churches or denominations of churches define or establish guidelines and/or set parameters that govern the relationship between themselves and the Lord
on High (thus signaling and proving to all who will hear, that all roads—divergent, though religious ideas—do not lead to God). Exercise of oneself in this area is in
the finale nothing less than (or, at the very least, something akin to) usurpation of an authority and a privilege, having already been spelled out clearly in His written
Word, belonging the to Father, and the Father alone. It is this type of an attitude which was bedrock to the iniquity found within the heart of the cherished,
protective Cherub of Ezekiel fame (28:11-19)—who is the Lucifer of Isaiah (14:13-15), now the devil or Satan—who declared that his lot in life (as the most
intelligent, most powerful, most creative, most beautiful of all God’s created beings) was not enough or too restricted, so, he was going to risk it all, by broadening
his horizon so as to include the height of the heavens, where he would be like the Most High, Himself. In view of the severity of the impending judgments threatened
and which will be levied against all (of the “church”) who refuse to “repent” and get their acts together, how imperative it is then for all church shepherds and their
congregations to be dedicated students of the Word, diligently striving continuously to know both God and His Will through His written Word.

As we begin, notice that no matter how far afoul of the Will of the Lord a church may be, they are still recognized as part of His global Body. Notice also, and bear
firmly in mind, however, that this does not mean that forgiveness of their waywardness is automatic, nor does it imply that those failing to obey the command to
“repent” can expect to be welcomed in to everlasting habitations, into the very Presence of the God of all eternity. The teaching our Lord is in fact such that those
who will not repent will be treated in the end like a malignant cancer for which there is no cure: they will be cut out of the Body altogether, and discarded along with
the unbelievers and their father, the devil or Satan. Notice, moreover, that Jesus reveals that both He and the Father are thoroughly familiar with and very much
concerned over every aspect of our daily lives and walk, both as individuals and as congregations. “I am fully aware of and perceptive of your toils (spiritual effort
or preoccupation)”, He reiterates at the start of each address. Please observe too that though a particular church was called into question, the messages—
warnings, remedies and promises—were intended for the benefit of us all, as any church (denomination), at any point in time or place in history, was (is)
susceptible to the same pitfalls. “The (one who) has an ear, hear what the Spirit is speaking to the churches”, the closing remark at the end of all seven
“arguments” meant to convey the notion that regardless of the recipient (the church singled out), the issues raised, warnings given and blessings pronounced
should be matters of concern to us all. (Click here to access next web page)

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Who Is Jesus Christ?