Who Is Jesus?
Scripture Reading — John 5:30-40
“John … testified to the truth… I mention it that you may be saved.”
—John 5:33-34
A stranger to our Christmas culture could well wonder, “Who is this Jesus who causes so much celebration?”
People already wondered about this Bethlehem baby at his birth. Then they questioned even more when he began to preach, and feed, and heal. Who was Jesus, that he could do and say these things?
When Jesus received hostile questions, he took the time to answer. He even produced five witnesses: himself, John, his works, the Father, and the Scriptures.
Perhaps John’s clearest testimony came when he and Jesus met as adults. John said, “Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!” (John 1:29). Soon afterward he added, “I have seen and I testify that this is God’s Chosen One” (John 1:34). That testimony was John’s “light,” and it pointed to Jesus, whose testimony was even “weightier than that of John.” The religious leaders to whom Jesus was speaking, however, refused “to come to [him] to have life.”
Jesus clearly fulfills God’s great promise of help and hope. He is the one sent by God to save his people, to “bring justice to the nations” (Isaiah 42:1).
We also have heard the testimony about Jesus. Are we choosing to enjoy him? Are we committing to him for life?
Holy Spirit, help me to see and believe who Jesus really is—the Son of God who brings salvation. In your mercy, remove anything that would lead me to refuse to come to you. Amen.
About the author — Morris Greidanus
Beginning in 1964, Morris Greidanus served churches in Alberta, Ontario, and Michigan. He was campus pastor at the University of Toronto from 1968 to 1974. After retiring in 2002, he served on various interim tasks in churches and educational institutions until he passed away in 2017. Morris and his wife, Alice, were married 58 years and had three children, five grandchildren, and a growing number of great-grandchildren.
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