Who is Jesus?

This study makes one assumption: everything Jesus says is truthful. The truthfulness of what the people and Pharisees say is not assumed. In a sense, from the onset, it can be said I am reasoning in a circle: assuming that which needs to be proven. Who is Jesus? Jesus is Truth. But the greater question is this: Is Jesus God? Many people speak truth, but few claim to be God.

Jesus' teaching comes from Jesus' sender.

Is Jesus' sender God or just a person? Perhaps Jesus is lying about his sender and stands alone.

One who speaks for himself seeks self-honor; one who works for honor of sender speaks truth.

Jesus has earthly parents and came from Galilee. Christ's origins will be unknown.

Jesus acknowledges his earthly origin. Jesus speaks not on his own. Jesus' sender "is true."

Many people do not know Jesus' sender. Jesus knows his sender because Jesus is from his sender and his sender sent him.

v29 deeply upset many people, but many also put their faith in Jesus. v29 carries tremendous weight somehow.

Jesus will shortly return to his sender.

Jesus' sender is in a place where people will not be able to travel. Implied: Jesus can get there on his own.

Jesus is "the light of the world." Whoever follows him "will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life."

Jesus' testimony is challenged.

If Jesus testifies on his own behalf, it will be valid, because (1) he knows where he came from and (2) where he is going. The Pharisees do not know these two things.

Judgment is clarified with the phrase "human standards." Implication: Juxtaposed with "God's standards." Particularly hard-hitting since Jesus is talking with the leaders of God's Law.

Jesus does not judge. But if he did, he would judge rightly (guaranteed). Why? Because Jesus and his sender are on the same team. Jesus' sender is called "the father."

Jesus' testimony is valid because he has two witnesses: himself and "the father," his sender.

The Pharisees do not know Jesus' father. If one knows Jesus, one would know his father. Implied: the Pharisees do not "know" Jesus, despite him standing in front of them. This is evidenced by v14, but in a spiritual sense.

Jesus repeats 7:33-34. Equated: those that cannot follow Jesus will have unforgiven sins. Simpler: those that follow Jesus will have their sins forgiven.

People are "from below;" of this world. Jesus is "from above;" not of this world.

Those that do not believe what Jesus claims to be (the present enigma) will die with unforgiven sins. Similar or identical to v21 and 7:33-34.

The Pharisees ask Jesus, "Who are you?" The enigma asked plainly.

Jesus' claims are consistent, truthful. Jesus' sender is reliable. Jesus says only what his sender (his father) tells him to say.

The sender/father connection was lost on the Pharisees, despite it being clearly equated in v16,19.

"Son of Man" mentioned but not described. When the Pharisees "lift up" the Son of Man (whoever that is), then the claims Jesus makes of himself will be clearly evidenced, and it will be clear that Jesus does nothing of his own but only that which "the father" taught Jesus. New puzzle: how is the "Son of Man" related to Jesus?

Jesus' sender/father is "with" Jesus, has not "left Jesus alone." Why? Because Jesus always does what pleases his sender/father.

The apparently weighty words of Jesus between v12 and v29 was enough to convince many of what Jesus claimed to be.

Disciples are those that hold to Jesus' teaching.

Disciples know the truth, and this truth sets disciples "free." Implication: those who do not believe Jesus are somehow slaves. From 7:28: Jesus' sender "is true."

Pharisees claim (1) they are descendants of Abraham, and (2) they have never been slaves of anyone.

Those that sin are slaves to sin. Hidden question: Who sins? Hidden answer: Everybody.

Slaves have no permanent place in the family, but sons belong to it forever.

Parable: "if the son sets a slave [the Pharisees or believers] free, the slave will be free indeed." Question: who is this son who has permanent residency in the household? Question: what is this house?

Jesus acknowledges their physical Abramic descendency, but points out an inconsistency with three hidden premises: The Pharisees want to kill Jesus; Abraham's descendents would not want to kill Jesus; Abraham's descendents would "have room" for "Jesus' word." Therefore, to resolve this contradiction (assuming the latter premises are true (the first is evidenced)), a qualifier must be added: Jesus is speaking of spiritual descendency, not physical.

Jesus has seen things in his father's presence and he speaks of them now. The Pharisees do what they have heard from "their" father. New person: the Pharisees' father.

Pharisees again claim Abraham as their father, disbelieving Jesus' claim that their father is someone else.

Bombshell: Jesus speaks on behalf of God. Jesus' sender is God. Jesus' father is God. "The Father" is God. Clearly: Jesus said, "...me, a man who has told you the truth that I heard from God." Children do what their father do. Abraham would not kill "a man who has told...truth...from God." The Pharisees want to. Therefore, Abraham is not the father of the Pharisees, despite their physical descendency.

The Pharisees do the things of their own father, whomever that is, but it's not their physical father Abraham. The Pharisees protest they are not illegitimite children. They understand what Jesus is saying about spiritual fathers. In desperation, they clarify with the claim that their father is God himself, which gets to the root of the spiritual argument.

Children of God love Jesus. Jesus came from God. Jesus' "sender" is God. Jesus is here now. Implied: The Pharisees' father is not God.

The Pharisees are unable to comprehend what Jesus is saying.

The Pharisees father is the devil. The Pharisees belong to the devil. The Pharisees carry out the devil's desire. The Pharisees are all about murder, not holding to the truth, and no truth is in them. The Pharisees' father "is a liar and the father of lies."

The Pharisees are unable to believe truth from God. (Unbelief is caused by the presense of truth.)

What of Jesus is there for doubt? Jesus has not sinned, his record is spotless. Therefore, why disbelieve? (See v45.)

Those that "belong" to God "hear" what God says. The Pharisees do not "hear" because they do not "belong" to God. Summary: the Pharisees are not (physical or spiritual) "sons" of God, nor are they spiritual descendents of Abraham. Jesus is the (physical or spiritual) "son" of God as well as a spiritual descendent of Abraham.

Pharisees last defense: Jesus is Samaritan scum, crazy, mental, and demon-possessed as well!

Jesus honors "his" Father (God, his Sender). The Pharisees dishonor Jesus. (Why was that parallel drawn?) Therefore, the Pharisees dishonor God.

Jesus does not seek glory. Another one seeks it; he is the judge.

Those that "keep Jesus' word" will "never see death."

But Abraham and the prophets died physically. What chance did they have to "keep" the "words" of Jesus? What does this phrase mean?

Does Jesus think he is greater than Abraham? Does Jesus think he is immortal?

If Jesus glorifies himself, it means nothing. Jesus' Father is God. Jesus' Father is not the Pharisees' father. God the Father glorifies Jesus the Son. From v29: God is "with" Jesus and Jesus is not alone. From v16: God and Jesus are on the same team. God sent Jesus. From v26: Jesus speaks only what God speaks. From v14: Jesus' origin is from God; God's dwelling is Jesus' origin. From v23: Jesus' original dwelling and God's dwelling is not of this world but from "above" this world.

The Pharisees do not "know" God. Jesus "knows" God. The Pharisees are liars. Jesus is not a liar. Jesus keeps his Father's (God's) "word." Tie this in with 7:29, 8:14, 8:19, and 8:32.

Jesus said, "Abraham rejoiced at the thought of seeing my day; he saw it and was glad." Between the lines: Jesus has special knowledge of Abraham. Jesus personally witnessed Abraham. Implied: Jesus is special ("my day", not "this day").

Pharisees challenge Jesus' implied witness.

Jesus claims divinity: "Before Abraham was born, I am!" "I AM" is a name reserved for God alone. Jesus claimed to be eternal in the past, an attribute reserved for God alone. Jesus claimed omniscience, an attribute reserved for God alone. This is the answer to the enigma: Jesus is the (physical or spiritual) Son of God; Jesus is God.

Pharisees recognized this claim to divinity and actively attempted to kill Jesus.

Wow, I somehow missed these comments. Thank you, Tim. I'm reading through your theory right now. Thanks! I'm familiar with Giesler. My friend has three "versions" of this book -- the long, thick one you recommended for reference, a medium one for casual reading, and a short one for quick reference. Not sure if the latter two are also by Giesler, but they're equally useful.

Qatar, I'm not quite sure what you mean. In theological contexts, the name "Jesus" typically refers to the historical person of 2000 years ago in Judea, the central figure of the New Testament Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke and John). You equate Jesus to be the One True Lord God who Saves. But then you say this Jesus-God is spirit only and not man. Who or what then, pray tell, is the central figure in the New Testament Gospels? Is the Jesus you speak of the same Jesus as the man in John 8? If so, you are quite mistaken, for the Bible clearly describes Jesus as both God and man.

Jesus is God: See above blog. You apparently don't have a problem with this. Great!

Jesus is man: consider the geneologies of Matthew 1 and Luke 3. Both strive to cement the humanity of Jesus. Consider John 1: "The Word was God... The Word became flesh." Consider Paul's argumentum ad absurdum to the Corinthians:

15:14 If Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain and your faith is in vain. 15:15 We are even found to be misrepresenting God, because we testified of God that he raised Christ, whom he did not raise if it is true that the dead are not raised. 15:16 For if the dead are not raised, then Christ has not been raised. 15:17 If Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins. 15:18 Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. 15:19 If for this life only we have hoped in Christ, we are of all men most to be pitied. 15:20 But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead....

1 Corinthians 15:14-20 RSV

If Christ has been raised from the dead, then Christ was dead. If Christ was dead, then Christ was man. The above quote from Paul is a rebuttal to the fledgling Gnosticism that sprang up within a hundred years after Christ had risen. The Gnostics believed Jesus was 100% God and 0% man. This is patently false as I have shown. Jesus is 100% God and 100% man.