Lesson 5 Printable Outline

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Lesson Overview

This is the final lesson of the Who Is Jesus Christ? course, and it answers the question that follows from everything that has come before. If Jesus is God — and the previous four lessons have established that He is — then why did He come to this earth? Why was the eternal Son of God born a man? Why did He live, die, and rise again?

Pastor Josh structures the lesson around three of Christ’s own teachings, followed by the lesson’s climax. He begins with Jesus’s teaching on sin, drawn from John 8:21-24 and Luke 5:17-26. The Lord declares that men will die in their sins unless they believe — and the man with palsy at Capernaum demonstrates that Christ has the very authority of God Himself to forgive sin. He moves to Jesus’s teaching on judgment from John 5:22-30 and Romans 2:16: the Father has committed all judgment to the Son, and the day is coming when God will judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ.

Then comes the heart of the lesson and the heart of the gospel. Why did Christ have to die? Pastor Josh uses the illustration of an earthly judge: if a judge simply forgave a murderer out of love, that would not be love — it would be injustice toward the one wronged. God is both perfectly just and perfectly loving, and the cross is where those two perfections meet. Christ did not merely die physically; He bore the eternal wrath of Almighty God against sin. Only God could bear an eternal punishment, which is precisely why the One who paid the price had to be God Himself.

The lesson lands on 2 Corinthians 9:8 and 5:21. Christ is sufficient — not only to give eternal life, but to make all grace abound toward you, that you, “always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work.” The series closes where it began: with the call to believe the gospel of Jesus Christ this very moment, and to find in Him the sufficiency for every need of body and soul, in time and for eternity.

Lesson Outline

I. The Two Possible Answers

• Either Jesus is God, or He is not. There is no middle ground.

• If He is not God, He is egotistical and out of touch with reality.

• If He is God, He is God — and His teaching, His death, and His resurrection all matter eternally.

II. Jesus’s Teaching on Sin

• John 8:21, 24 — “Ye shall die in your sins… for if ye believe not that I am he, ye shall die in your sins.”

• All men are sinners, all men will die — the question is, will you die in your sins?

• Luke 5:17-26 — The man with palsy. “Man, thy sins are forgiven thee.”

• The scribes recognize the claim: “Who can forgive sins, but God alone?”

• Christ’s authority to forgive sin is manifested in the visible miracle of healing.

III. Jesus’s Teaching on Judgment

• John 5:22 — “The Father… hath committed all judgment unto the Son.”

• John 5:27 — “Hath given him authority to execute judgment also.”

• John 5:30 — “I can of mine own self do nothing… my judgment is just.”

• Romans 2:16 — “In the day when God shall judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ.”

• To die in your sins is to face that judgment without a Saviour.

IV. Why Christ Had to Die

• John 3:14-18 — “As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up.”

• The judge-and-murderer illustration: love without justice is injustice toward the one wronged.

• God is both perfectly just and perfectly loving — the cross is where both perfections meet.

• Christ bore the eternal wrath of God; only God could bear an eternal punishment.

• Romans 3:23-26 — “A propitiation… that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus.”

V. The Sufficiency of Christ

• 2 Corinthians 5:21 — “He hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.”

• 2 Corinthians 9:8 — “All sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work.”

• Christ is sufficient not only for eternal life, but for every grace needed for every good work in this life.

• “Sufficient” means equal to the end proposed — and the end of our sins is eternal damnation. Christ’s sufficiency is great.

VI. The Closing Appeal

• Trust Christ as God who bore your penalty on the cross and rose again from the dead.

• Salvation is a free gift, received by faith and faith alone.

• In the moment you believe from the heart, God forgives your sin and credits Christ’s righteousness to your account.

Key Scriptures

John 8:21

Then said Jesus again unto them, I go my way, and ye shall seek me, and shall die in your sins: whither I go, ye cannot come.

John 8:24

I said therefore unto you, that ye shall die in your sins: for if ye believe not that I am he, ye shall die in your sins.

Luke 5:18-21

And, behold, men brought in a bed a man which was taken with a palsy: and they sought means to bring him in, and to lay him before him. And when they could not find by what way they might bring him in because of the multitude, they went upon the housetop, and let him down through the tiling with his couch into the midst before Jesus. And when he saw their faith, he said unto him, Man, thy sins are forgiven thee. And the scribes and the Pharisees began to reason, saying, Who is this which speaketh blasphemies? Who can forgive sins, but God alone?

Luke 5:24

But that ye may know that the Son of man hath power upon earth to forgive sins, (he said unto the sick of the palsy,) I say unto thee, Arise, and take up thy couch, and go into thine house.

John 5:22-23

For the Father judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgment unto the Son: that all men should honour the Son, even as they honour the Father. He that honoureth not the Son honoureth not the Father which hath sent him.

John 5:26-27

For as the Father hath life in himself; so hath he given to the Son to have life in himself; and hath given him authority to execute judgment also, because he is the Son of man.

John 5:30

I can of mine own self do nothing: as I hear, I judge: and my judgment is just; because I seek not mine own will, but the will of the Father which hath sent me.

Romans 2:16

In the day when God shall judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ according to my gospel.

John 3:14-16

And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up: that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life. For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

John 3:17-18

For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.

Romans 3:23-26

For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God; to declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus.

2 Corinthians 5:21

For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.

2 Corinthians 9:8

And God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work.

Written Summary

The Who Is Jesus Christ? course closes with the question that has been waiting in the background since Lesson 1: if Jesus is God — and He is — why did He come to die? Pastor Josh structures the answer around three of Christ’s own teachings and one foundational truth about the character of God.

First, Jesus taught that men are sinners. Pastor Josh begins in John 8:21-24, where the Lord tells His hearers, “Ye shall die in your sins… for if ye believe not that I am he, ye shall die in your sins.” All men sin. All men will die. But the issue is not whether you will die — it is how. Will you die in your sins, or will you die forgiven?

To establish that He has the authority to forgive sins, Pastor Josh moves to Luke 5:17-26 — the man with palsy lowered through the roof. Christ’s first words to him are not, “Rise and walk” but, “Man, thy sins are forgiven thee.” The scribes immediately understand the claim: “Who can forgive sins, but God alone?” And the Lord, knowing their thoughts, performs the visible miracle to demonstrate the invisible authority. The healed man walks home; sin is forgiven; Christ has shown that He is God.

Second, Jesus taught that the Father has committed all judgment to the Son. John 5:22, 27, and 30 establish the principle: the Father judges no man, but has given all authority to judge to His Son, and the Son’s judgment is just. Romans 2:16 confirms the appointment: “In the day when God shall judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ.” To die in your sins is to face that judgment without a Saviour, and the Scripture warns plainly that the alternative to eternal life is the danger of hellfire.

Then comes the heart of the gospel. If Jesus has the authority to forgive sin, why did He have to die at all? Pastor Josh answers with an illustration. Imagine an earthly judge faced with a murderer. The judge stands and announces, “In my love, I will forgive the murderer.” The sinner benefits, but the victim is denied justice. The courtroom riots. That is not love — it is injustice. God is perfectly just, and He is perfectly loving, and the two cannot be separated. Sin must be punished. The cross is where God’s justice and God’s love meet without compromise — Christ bore the punishment so that the Father could be both “just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus” (Romans 3:26).

And here Pastor Josh draws the conclusion that ties the entire series together. Christ did not merely die physically. He bore the eternal wrath of Almighty God — the very wrath that would otherwise be poured out on the sinner for all eternity. Only God could bear an eternal punishment in a finite span of time. This is precisely why the One who died on the cross had to be God Himself. The sufficiency of the cross rests entirely on the deity of the Christ who hung there.

The lesson closes with 2 Corinthians 9:8. Christ is sufficient. He is the ransom price for sin. He is the propitiation that satisfies justice. He is the righteousness imputed to every believer. And He is, “always,” in “all things,” sufficient for “every good work” you will ever be called to. The series began with the question, who is Jesus Christ? It ends with the answer Pastor Josh has labored across five lessons to establish: He is God in the flesh, who came and died for you so that you could have eternal life. Believe in Him today and be saved.

Study Questions

For reflection and personal application. Good for individuals, couples, and small groups.

1. Pastor Josh insists there is no middle ground: either Jesus is God, or He is not. Why is the popular notion of Jesus as “a great moral teacher but not God” not actually a third option, and why does it collapse on its own?

2. In John 8:24, Jesus says “if ye believe not that I am he, ye shall die in your sins.” What does it mean to die in your sins, and how does that one phrase reframe the urgency of the gospel for you and for those you love?

3. In Luke 5, Christ forgave the man’s sins before He healed his body. Why does the order of those two acts matter, and what does it teach you about Christ’s priorities for those who come to Him?

4. Pastor Josh’s illustration of the judge who simply forgives the murderer is meant to expose what goes wrong with a “loving God” who does not punish sin. Why is justice a non-negotiable part of love, and how does the cross resolve the tension?

5. Why did the One who paid for sin have to be God? Why could no creature, no matter how good, bear the eternal wrath that sin deserves?

6. Romans 3:26 says that at the cross God is shown to be both “just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus.” What does it mean to you that the gospel does not require God to compromise on either His justice or His love?

7. 2 Corinthians 9:8 promises “all sufficiency in all things.” Where in your life right now do you most need to remember that Christ’s sufficiency extends beyond eternal life into the practical work He has called you to today?

Review Questions

Question 1: In Luke 5, when Jesus said to the man with palsy, “Thy sins are forgiven thee,” how did the scribes and Pharisees respond?

• A. They rejoiced that a sinner had been forgiven.

• B. They asked Jesus to do the same for them.

• C. They reasoned that He spoke blasphemy, asking, “Who can forgive sins, but God alone?”

• D. They quietly walked away in confusion.

Question 2: According to John 5:22, who has the Father committed all judgment to?

• A. The angels of heaven.

• B. The Son.

• C. The Holy Spirit.

• D. The apostles, when they sit on twelve thrones.

Question 3: According to Pastor Josh’s teaching, why did the One who died for sin have to be God?

• A. Because only God’s death would attract enough attention.

• B. Because God promised to die personally for His people.

• C. Because only God could bear an eternal punishment in our place.

• D. Because human sacrifices were forbidden in the Old Testament.

Answer Key

1. C — They reasoned that He spoke blasphemy. The scribes understood Christ’s claim perfectly — only God can forgive sins — and Jesus then proved His authority to do exactly that by healing the man visibly, demonstrating that He is God.

2. B — The Son. John 5:22 states that the Father judges no man but has committed all judgment to the Son; the One who came to save will also be the One who judges, which makes the call to trust Him now absolutely urgent.

3. C — Only God could bear an eternal punishment in our place. The wages of sin is eternal death; no creature could bear an infinite penalty in a finite span, so the One who paid had to be infinite — that is, God Himself, which is precisely why Jesus is God.

Going Deeper

— Romans 5:6-11 — Paul’s exposition of why Christ’s death was for us “while we were yet sinners,” and the unbreakable logic of how the cross both demonstrates and accomplishes God’s love. A perfect companion to this lesson’s judge-and-murderer illustration.

— Hebrews 9:11-15 and 10:10-14 — The writer of Hebrews on why Christ’s once-for-all sacrifice is sufficient where the Old Testament sacrifices were not. The same theme of sufficiency, expanded into the doctrinal heart of the new testament.

— Philippians 4:13, 19 — “I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me… My God shall supply all your need.” Two of the most quoted verses in the New Testament, and both are concrete applications of 2 Corinthians 9:8 — Christ’s sufficiency made personal.

Coming Up Next

This is the final lesson of the Who Is Jesus Christ? course. The question has been asked and answered: Jesus Christ is God in the flesh, the eternal second member of the triune Godhead, who came to die and rise again so that everyone who believes might receive eternal life. Pastor Josh’s closing appeal stands: trust the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ this very moment. If you have any questions, please contact us — we would love to help you. Until our next course… look up.

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Lesson 4 Printable Outline

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Lesson Overview

Lessons 2 and 3 examined the authority and the claims of Jesus Christ — what He does and what He says about Himself. Lesson 4 turns to the response side of the question: how did real men in history actually react when they were confronted by Christ? Pastor Josh walks the student through six accounts in Scripture, each one a different kind of encounter, and each one yielding the same essential conclusion.

Nathanael was confronted at the start of Christ’s earthly ministry and immediately confessed, “Thou art the Son of God, thou art the King of Israel.” Thomas, the doubter, was confronted by the risen Christ and answered, “My Lord and my God.” The writer of Hebrews, looking back, saw Jesus as the One the Father addresses with “Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever.” Peter, on his third major encounter with the Lord, fell at His knees and said, “Depart from me; for I am a sinful man, O Lord.” John, in the apocalyptic vision of Revelation 1, fell at His feet as dead. And Paul — the persecutor of the church — was confronted on the road to Damascus and “straightway he preached Christ in the synagogues, that he is the Son of God.”

The lesson closes with an unmistakable challenge: every reader of the Gospels stands in the same position as these six men. The witness has been given. The confessions are on record. Pastor Josh’s appeal lands directly: Jesus Christ is not one whom you can ignore. If you ignore Him now, you will not be able to ignore Him later, for every knee shall bow and every tongue shall confess that Jesus Christ is Lord. Believe in Him today and be saved.

Lesson Outline

I. Nathanael — “Thou Art the Son of God”

• John 1:43-51 — Philip brings Nathanael to Jesus.

• Nathanael’s skepticism: “Can there any good thing come out of Nazareth?”

• Jesus’s knowledge of him under the fig tree: “Before that Philip called thee… I saw thee.”

• Nathanael’s immediate confession: “Rabbi, thou art the Son of God; thou art the King of Israel.”

II. Thomas — “My Lord and My God”

• John 20:24-29 — The risen Christ appears to the disciples; Thomas is absent.

• Thomas’s demand: unless he sees the print of the nails and thrusts his hand into the side, he will not believe.

• Eight days later, Christ appears again and addresses Thomas’s exact words.

• Thomas’s confession: “My Lord and my God.” — and Christ’s blessing on those who have not seen yet have believed.

III. The Writer of Hebrews — “Thy Throne, O God”

• Hebrews 1:1-8 — God spoke in time past by the prophets; in these last days by His Son.

• The Son: heir of all things, by whom He made the worlds, the brightness of His glory, the express image of His person.

• To the Son the Father says: “Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever.”

IV. Peter — “I Am a Sinful Man, O Lord”

• Luke 5:1-11 — The miraculous catch of fish after a fruitless night.

• Peter’s response: he fell at Jesus’s knees, recognizing his own sinfulness in the presence of the holy Christ.

• “Depart from me; for I am a sinful man, O Lord.”

V. John — The Vision of the Risen Christ

• Revelation 1:17-18 — John, who walked with Christ, sees Him in glory and falls at His feet as dead.

• “I am the first and the last.”

• “I am he that liveth, and was dead… and have the keys of hell and of death.”

VI. Paul — From Persecutor to Proclaimer

• Acts 9:1-20 — Saul, on the road to Damascus to persecute the church, is confronted by the risen Lord.

• Trembling and astonished: “Lord, what wilt thou have me to do?”

• Verse 20: “And straightway he preached Christ in the synagogues, that he is the Son of God.”

VII. The Inescapable Conclusion

• There is no man in history more perplexing, compelling, or commanding than Jesus Christ — because no other man is also God.

• Every knee shall bow and every tongue shall confess that Jesus Christ is Lord.

• He is the only mediator between God and man, for He is truly God and truly man. Believe and be saved.

Key Scriptures

John 1:43-51

The day following Jesus would go forth into Galilee, and findeth Philip, and saith unto him, Follow me. Now Philip was of Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and Peter. Philip findeth Nathanael, and saith unto him, We have found him, of whom Moses in the law, and the prophets, did write, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph. And Nathanael said unto him, Can there any good thing come out of Nazareth? Philip saith unto him, Come and see. Jesus saw Nathanael coming to him, and saith of him, Behold an Israelite indeed, in whom is no guile! Nathanael saith unto him, Whence knowest thou me? Jesus answered and said unto him, Before that Philip called thee, when thou wast under the fig tree, I saw thee. Nathanael answered and saith unto him, Rabbi, thou art the Son of God; thou art the King of Israel.

John 20:24-29

But Thomas, one of the twelve, called Didymus, was not with them when Jesus came. The other disciples therefore said unto him, We have seen the Lord. But he said unto them, Except I shall see in his hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and thrust my hand into his side, I will not believe. And after eight days again his disciples were within, and Thomas with them: then came Jesus, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst, and said, Peace be unto you. Then saith he to Thomas, Reach hither thy finger, and behold my hands; and reach hither thy hand, and thrust it into my side: and be not faithless, but believing. And Thomas answered and said unto him, My Lord and my God. Jesus saith unto him, Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed.

Hebrews 1:1-3

God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds; who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high.

Hebrews 1:8

But unto the Son he saith, Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever: a sceptre of righteousness is the sceptre of thy kingdom.

Luke 5:1-11

And it came to pass, that, as the people pressed upon him to hear the word of God, he stood by the lake of Gennesaret… And when he had left speaking, he said unto Simon, Launch out into the deep, and let down your nets for a draught. And Simon answering said unto him, Master, we have toiled all the night, and have taken nothing: nevertheless at thy word I will let down the net. And when they had this done, they inclosed a great multitude of fishes: and their net brake. And they beckoned unto their partners, which were in the other ship, that they should come and help them. And they came, and filled both the ships, so that they began to sink. When Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus’ knees, saying, Depart from me; for I am a sinful man, O Lord.

Revelation 1:17-18

And when I saw him, I fell at his feet as dead. And he laid his right hand upon me, saying unto me, Fear not; I am the first and the last: I am he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death.

Acts 9:3-6

And as he journeyed, he came near Damascus: and suddenly there shined round about him a light from heaven: and he fell to the earth, and heard a voice saying unto him, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? And he said, Who art thou, Lord? And the Lord said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest: it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks. And he trembling and astonished said, Lord, what wilt thou have me to do? And the Lord said unto him, Arise, and go into the city, and it shall be told thee what thou must do.

Acts 9:18-20

And immediately there fell from his eyes as it had been scales: and he received sight forthwith, and arose, and was baptized. And when he had received meat, he was strengthened. Then was Saul certain days with the disciples which were at Damascus. And straightway he preached Christ in the synagogues, that he is the Son of God.

1 John 5:20

And we know that the Son of God is come, and hath given us an understanding, that we may know him that is true, and we are in him that is true, even in his Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God, and eternal life.

Philippians 2:10-11

That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

Written Summary

Pastor Josh opens this lesson with a single aim: to bring the student to the right conclusion about Jesus Christ. To do that, he walks through six accounts in Scripture where real men were confronted by Jesus, and lets their confessions speak for themselves.

Nathanael was the first. Philip brought him to Jesus, and Nathanael — skeptical that anything good could come out of Nazareth — was met with a single statement that pierced him through. “Before that Philip called thee, when thou wast under the fig tree, I saw thee.” There was no doubt left in Nathanael’s mind. He answered immediately: “Rabbi, thou art the Son of God; thou art the King of Israel.” Christ’s response was a promise — Nathanael would see greater things still.

Thomas was different. He had believed Jesus was the Christ. He had seen the crucifixion. And when his fellow disciples claimed they had seen the risen Lord, Thomas refused — unless he could see the print of the nails and thrust his hand into the side. Eight days later, Christ appeared in the room with the doors shut and addressed Thomas’s exact words. The doubter’s response is one of the great confessions in all of Scripture: “My Lord and my God.” Christ’s answer is the one that reaches the modern reader: “Blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed.”

The writer of Hebrews — whose identity Scripture does not name — was confronted by Christ through the prophets and their fulfillment. He looked back across the Old Testament and saw Jesus everywhere: the heir of all things, the brightness of God’s glory, the express image of His person, the One upholding all things by the word of His power. And he records the Father’s own address to the Son: “Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever.”

Peter’s confrontation came at the lake of Gennesaret. After a fruitless night of fishing, Jesus told him to launch out and let down the nets one more time. The catch was so great that two ships began to sink. Peter’s response was not pride or excitement — it was collapse. He fell at Jesus’s knees and said, “Depart from me; for I am a sinful man, O Lord.” That is what every honest soul says in the presence of the holy Christ.

John’s confrontation came twice. The first time, John walked beside Him for three years. The second time, John saw Him glorified — and fell at His feet as dead. The voice that spoke was unmistakable: “I am the first and the last: I am he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death.”

Paul’s confrontation was the most violent. He was on the road to Damascus to drag followers of Jesus back in chains. The risen Christ struck him to the ground with a single question: “Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me?” Three days blind, baptized, and then verse 20: “Straightway he preached Christ in the synagogues, that he is the Son of God.” The persecutor became the proclaimer.

Six men. Six confrontations. One conclusion. Pastor Josh closes with the appeal that has run through every lesson of this course: there is no man in history more perplexing, compelling, or commanding than the Lord Jesus Christ — because no other man is also God. You cannot ignore Him. If you do not bow before Him now in faith, you will bow before Him later in judgment, for every knee shall bow and every tongue shall confess that Jesus Christ is Lord. He is the only mediator between God and man. Believe in Him today and be saved.

Study Questions

For reflection and personal application. Good for individuals, couples, and small groups.

1. Nathanael was skeptical until a single statement from Jesus convinced him completely. What does it tell you about Christ that He pierces through skepticism not with arguments, but with personal knowledge of who you are?

2. Thomas demanded physical evidence and refused to believe without it. Christ met him where he was — but then blessed those “that have not seen, and yet have believed.” Where do you fit in that distinction, and what is the basis of your faith if not sight?

3. The writer of Hebrews looked back at the Old Testament and saw Christ everywhere. How does the witness of the Old Testament prophets to Jesus strengthen your confidence that He is who He claims to be?

4. Peter’s response to the miraculous catch was not “Lord, you’re amazing” but “Depart from me; for I am a sinful man, O Lord.” Why is the right response to encountering the holiness of Christ a recognition of one’s own sinfulness, and have you ever responded that way?

5. John walked with Jesus for three years — and yet when he saw Him in glory in Revelation 1, he fell at His feet as dead. What does this teach you about how much of Christ’s glory was veiled during His earthly ministry, and what awaits every believer?

6. Paul went from being a persecutor of Christ’s church to its most influential apostle in a matter of days. What does that radical reversal say about the power of being confronted by the risen Lord, and where in your life is that same power needed?

7. Pastor Josh closes the lesson with the warning that you cannot ignore Jesus Christ — if you ignore Him now, you will not be able to ignore Him later. Why is honest engagement with Christ the only safe response, and what does that engagement look like.

Review Questions

Question 1: When the risen Christ appeared to the disciples a second time and addressed Thomas, what was Thomas’s response in John 20:28?

• A. “I always knew you would rise.”

• B. “My Lord and my God.”

• C. “Forgive my unbelief, Master.”

• D. “Truly thou art the Christ of God.”

Question 2: After the miraculous catch of fish in Luke 5, what was Peter’s reaction?

• A. He immediately asked Jesus to make him a fisher of men.

• B. He proclaimed Jesus to the crowd on the shore.

• C. He fell at Jesus’s knees and said, “Depart from me; for I am a sinful man, O Lord.”

• D. He silently followed Jesus, too astonished to speak.

Question 3: In Acts 9, after Saul’s confrontation with the risen Lord on the road to Damascus, what did he do straightway upon receiving his sight?

• A. He returned to Jerusalem to apologize to the disciples.

• B. He preached Christ in the synagogues, that he is the Son of God.

• C. He went into the wilderness for forty days of fasting.

• D. He destroyed the letters he had received from the high priest.

Answer Key

1. B — “My Lord and my God”. Thomas the doubter became the one who delivered one of the most direct confessions of Christ’s deity in the Gospels — and Christ accepted that worship rather than correcting it, because He is in fact God.

2. C — He fell at Jesus’s knees acknowledging his sinfulness. The right response to the holiness of Christ is not admiration but conviction; Peter saw who Jesus was and saw simultaneously who he himself was, and that is the response of every soul honestly confronted by the Lord.

3. B — He preached Christ as the Son of God. The persecutor became the proclaimer almost immediately; once Saul saw the risen Christ, no further argument was needed, and Acts 9:20 shows the radical reversal that being confronted by Jesus produces.

Going Deeper

— Acts 26:9-20 — Paul’s own retelling of his Damascus road confrontation, given before King Agrippa years later. Reading the testimony in his own words, decades after the event, shows how completely the encounter remained the defining moment of his life.

— John 21:1-19 — Peter’s second great confrontation, this time with the risen Christ on the shore. After his denial, Christ restores him with three questions matching his three denials. Read it alongside Luke 5 to see how the Lord meets Peter at every stage of his journey.

— 1 Corinthians 15:3-8 — Paul’s summary of the resurrection appearances, listing himself last among those to whom Christ appeared “as of one born out of due time.” It places the Damascus road event in its proper place — as the final, climactic confrontation in the apostolic record.

Coming Up Next

Lesson 5 (final lesson) — If Jesus is who He claims to be, why did He come? We turn from the confrontations of Christ to the sufficiency of Christ — His teaching on sin, on judgment, and on the cross — and the question that ties the entire series together: why did God the Son come to die, and what does His sufficiency mean for you?

Final Lesson 5

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Lesson Overview

Lesson 2 examined the authority of Jesus Christ — what He does. Lesson 3 turns to the claims of Jesus Christ — what He says about Himself. Pastor Josh notes that Jesus is not merely a man born who claimed to be God; He is God who became man. That distinction is the key to everything that follows.

The lesson moves through four movements. First, at Caesarea Philippi, Jesus presses His disciples on the question that His earthly ministry kept provoking: “whom say ye that I am?” Peter answers, “Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God” — and Jesus does not correct him; He blesses him. The title “Son of Man,” anchored in Daniel 7:13-14, is no humble denial of deity — it is a claim to receive an everlasting kingdom from the Ancient of Days.

Second, in John 5, the Sabbath controversy explodes precisely because the Jews understood His claim. They sought to kill Him because He “said also that God was his Father, making himself equal with God.” Third, the lesson walks through the “I AM” sayings spread across John’s Gospel — John 6:62, John 8:23-24, John 16:28, John 17:5, and the staggering moment in John 18:6 when the soldiers come to arrest Him, He says “I am he,” and they go backward and fall to the ground. Mark 14:61-62 closes the sequence: standing before the high priest, He confirms under oath that He is the Christ, the Son of the Blessed.

Fourth, the lesson lands where every honest reader must land. The claims of Jesus — “I and my Father are one,” “he that hath seen me hath seen the Father,” “before Abraham was, I am” — are exclusive, authoritative, and total. Either He is a self-deceived egomaniac, or He is God. The lesson refuses to permit any third option, and calls the student to trust Christ as Saviour today.

Lesson Outline

I. The Question at Caesarea Philippi — “Whom say ye that I am?”

• Matthew 16:13-20 — Jesus puts the question directly to His disciples.

• The world’s speculation: John the Baptist, Elijah (Malachi 4:5), Jeremiah, or in league with Beelzebub (Matthew 12:24).

• Peter’s confession: “Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.”

• Jesus does not correct Peter; He pronounces him blessed and builds the church on that confession.

II. The Son of Man — A Title of Deity, Not Humility

• Daniel 7:13-14 — One like the Son of Man comes to the Ancient of Days and receives an everlasting dominion.

• When Jesus calls Himself the Son of Man, He is claiming the kingdom and the authority of Daniel 7.

• “The gates of hell shall not prevail against it” — His kingdom is unstoppable.

III. Equal with the Father — John 5:17-18

• Jesus heals on the Sabbath and says, “My Father worketh hitherto, and I work.”

• The Jews sought to kill Him because He was “making himself equal with God.”

• Their understanding of His claim was correct — and matches Philippians 2:6.

IV. The “I AM” and Pre-Existence Claims

• John 6:62 — “What and if ye shall see the Son of man ascend up where he was before?”

• John 8:23-24 — “Ye are from beneath; I am from above… if ye believe not that I am he, ye shall die in your sins.”

• John 16:28 — “I came forth from the Father… I leave the world, and go to the Father.”

• John 17:5 — “the glory which I had with thee before the world was.”

• John 18:4-6 — At His arrest He says “I am he” and the soldiers go backward and fall to the ground.

• Mark 14:61-62 — Before the high priest: “I am: and ye shall see the Son of Man sitting on the right hand of power.”

V. Absolute Equality with the Father

• John 10:30 — “I and my Father are one.”

• John 12:45 — “He that seeth me seeth him that sent me.”

• John 14:9-10 — “He that hath seen me hath seen the Father.”

• The seven “I am” predicates of John’s Gospel restated: bread, light, door, shepherd, resurrection, way, vine.

VI. The Inescapable Conclusion

• Such bold, exclusive, authoritative claims reveal one of two things: an egomaniac, or the truth of who Jesus is.

• There is no third option. Trust Christ as your only and all-sufficient Saviour today.

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Key Scriptures

Matthew 16:13-17

When Jesus came into the coasts of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, saying, Whom do men say that I the Son of man am? And they said, Some say that thou art John the Baptist: some, Elias; and others, Jeremias, or one of the prophets. He saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am? And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God. And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven.

Matthew 16:18

And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.

Daniel 7:13-14

I saw in the night visions, and, behold, one like the Son of man came with the clouds of heaven, and came to the Ancient of days, and they brought him near before him. And there was given him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all people, nations, and languages, should serve him: his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed.

John 5:17-18

But Jesus answered them, My Father worketh hitherto, and I work. Therefore the Jews sought the more to kill him, because he not only had broken the sabbath, but said also that God was his Father, making himself equal with God.

Philippians 2:6

Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God.

John 6:62

What and if ye shall see the Son of man ascend up where he was before?

John 8:23-24

And he said unto them, Ye are from beneath; I am from above: ye are of this world; I am not of this world. I said therefore unto you, that ye shall die in your sins: for if ye believe not that I am he, ye shall die in your sins.

John 16:28

I came forth from the Father, and am come into the world: again, I leave the world, and go to the Father.

John 17:5

And now, O Father, glorify thou me with thine own self with the glory which I had with thee before the world was.

John 18:4-6

Jesus therefore, knowing all things that should come upon him, went forth, and said unto them, Whom seek ye? They answered him, Jesus of Nazareth. Jesus saith unto them, I am he. And Judas also, which betrayed him, stood with them. As soon then as he had said unto them, I am he, they went backward, and fell to the ground.

Mark 14:61-62

But he held his peace, and answered nothing. Again the high priest asked him, and said unto him, Art thou the Christ, the Son of the Blessed? And Jesus said, I am: and ye shall see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven.

John 10:30

I and my Father are one.

John 12:45

And he that seeth me seeth him that sent me.

John 14:9-10

Jesus saith unto him, Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? he that hath seen me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou then, Shew us the Father? Believest thou not that I am in the Father, and the Father in me? the words that I speak unto you I speak not of myself: but the Father that dwelleth in me, he doeth the works.

Written Summary

At Caesarea Philippi, Jesus pressed His disciples with the question that His entire earthly ministry kept provoking: “Whom say ye that I am?” The world had its theories — John the Baptist risen, Elijah returned per Malachi 4:5, Jeremiah back from the dead, or worse, an agent of Beelzebub. Peter, speaking for the twelve, gave the right answer: “Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.” Jesus did not rebuke him. He blessed him, and declared that on the confession of His own divine identity He would build His church, and that the gates of hell would not prevail against it.

The title Jesus most often used of Himself — Son of Man — was no humble denial of deity. Pastor Josh takes us to Daniel 7:13-14, where one like the Son of Man comes with the clouds of heaven, approaches the Ancient of Days, and receives an everlasting dominion that shall not pass away. Every time Jesus called Himself the Son of Man, He was reaching back into Daniel’s vision and claiming the kingdom and the throne it described.

In John 5, the Sabbath controversy makes the claim explicit. Jesus heals a man on the Sabbath and answers His critics, “My Father worketh hitherto, and I work.” The Jews understood Him perfectly. They sought to kill Him not for a healing they considered unlawful, but because He was “making himself equal with God.” Their reading of His words was correct, and Paul confirms it in Philippians 2:6 — Christ “thought it not robbery to be equal with God.”

Then come the great “I AM” claims. In John 6:62, He speaks of ascending “where he was before.” In John 8:23-24, He warns, “if ye believe not that I am he, ye shall die in your sins.” In John 16:28, He came forth from the Father and goes back to the Father. In John 17:5, He prays to be glorified with the glory He had with the Father “before the world was.” In John 18, when the soldiers come to arrest Him in Gethsemane and He says, “I am he,” the entire arresting party goes backward and falls to the ground. And in Mark 14:61-62, before the high priest, He testifies under oath: “I am: and ye shall see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power.” That confession is exactly what gets Him condemned to die.

Beyond these, Jesus claimed absolute and total equality with the Father. “I and my Father are one” (John 10:30). “He that seeth me seeth him that sent me” (John 12:45). “He that hath seen me hath seen the Father” (John 14:9). The seven “I am” predicates of John’s Gospel — bread, light, door, shepherd, resurrection, way, vine — are not the language of a humble teacher. They are the speech of God in the flesh.

Pastor Josh closes the lesson where every honest reader of the Gospels must close: such bold, exclusive, authoritative claims permit only two conclusions. Either Jesus is a self-deceived egomaniac whose words can be safely ignored — or He is who He says He is, the Son of God, equal with the Father, the great I AM. There is no middle ground, no third option, no comfortable place where He can be a “good teacher” but not God. The call of this lesson is unmistakable: trust Christ as your only and all-sufficient Saviour today.

Study Questions

For reflection and personal application. Good for individuals, couples, and small groups.

1. When Jesus asked His disciples, “Whom say ye that I am?”, He was not asking for their opinion — He was forcing a confession. If He were standing before you today and asked the same question, what would your honest answer be, and how does the rest of your life either confirm or contradict it?

2. Pastor Josh shows that “Son of Man” is not a humble title but a claim drawn from Daniel 7:13-14. How does that change the way you read the Gospels — particularly the moments where Jesus uses the title most often?

3. In John 5:18, the Jews understood Jesus’s claim better than many modern readers do — they tried to kill Him because He was “making himself equal with God.” Why is it impossible to keep Jesus as a “good teacher” while refusing His claim to deity?

4. Read John 18:4-6 slowly. When Jesus says “I am he,” the soldiers fall backward to the ground. What does that single moment tell you about the power present in Christ even as He willingly walked toward the cross?

5. In Mark 14:61-62, Jesus is asked under oath if He is the Christ, the Son of the Blessed. He says, “I am.” That confession is what condemns Him to die. Why is it significant that the cross was secured not by mistaken identity, but by His own truthful testimony?

6. Pastor Josh repeats throughout the lesson that there are only two possible conclusions: egomaniac or God. Why does this hard either/or matter so much, and where do you see modern attempts to invent a comfortable third option?

7. Of the seven “I am” predicates of John’s Gospel — bread, light, door, shepherd, resurrection, way, vine — which one most powerfully shapes the way you walk with Christ this week, and why?

Review Questions

Question 1: At Caesarea Philippi (Matthew 16:13-17), what was Peter’s confession of who Jesus is?

• A. A great prophet, on par with Elijah and Jeremiah.

• B. The Christ, the Son of the living God.

• C. A wise teacher sent from God to renew Israel.

• D. The Messiah, but not divine in nature.

Question 2: In John 5:18, why did the Jews seek even more earnestly to kill Jesus?

• A. Because He claimed to be a prophet greater than Moses.

• B. Because He healed too many people on the same day.

• C. Because He was making Himself equal with God.

• D. Because He criticized the temple authorities publicly.

Question 3: When Jesus said “I am he” to the soldiers in John 18:6, what happened?

• A. The soldiers immediately bound Him and took Him away.

• B. They went backward and fell to the ground.

• C. A great earthquake shook the garden.

• D. They asked Him to identify Himself a second time.

Answer Key

1. B — The Christ, the Son of the living God. Peter’s confession identifies Jesus not merely as a prophet or teacher but as the promised Messiah and the divine Son — and Jesus blessed him for the answer rather than correcting it.

2. C — He was making Himself equal with God. The Jews understood His claim in John 5:17 perfectly; calling God His own Father in that way was a direct claim to deity, which they considered blasphemy worthy of death.

3. B — They went backward and fell to the ground. In John 18:6 the divine name “I AM” carried such inherent power that even at His arrest, the soldiers were physically driven back — a glimpse of the deity He willingly veiled to walk to the cross.

Going Deeper

— Daniel 7:9-14 — Read the entire vision, not just the verses Pastor Josh quoted. The Ancient of Days takes His seat, books are opened, and the Son of Man receives the kingdom. Every Gospel use of “Son of Man” reaches back to this scene.

— John 8:48-59 — The fullest “I AM” confrontation in the Gospels. It begins with the Jews accusing Jesus of being a Samaritan with a devil and ends with “Before Abraham was, I am” — and they take up stones. Read it alongside Exodus 3:14.

— Hebrews 1:1-3 and Colossians 1:15-20 — Two apostolic summaries of the same claim Jesus made about Himself. The Son is “the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person,” and “by him all things consist.” The apostolic witness fully agrees with the Lord’s own testimony.

Coming Up Next

Lesson 4 — If Jesus is who He claims to be, how did people actually respond when they encountered Him? We will turn from the claims of Christ to the confrontations of Christ — the individuals and crowds who met Him face to face, what they said about Him, and what their responses teach us about our own.

Lesson 4

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Lesson Overview

Lesson 1 established who the God of the Bible is. Lesson 2 now turns to the central question of the entire course — who is Jesus Christ? — and answers it with one Scripture-saturated claim: Jesus is God, the second member of the triune Godhead, possessing all the authority that belongs to God alone.

Pastor Josh walks through five lines of biblical evidence: passages that call Jesus God, passages in which Jesus calls Himself God, titles and attributes shared by the Father and the Son, works that only God can do (which Jesus does), and the manifestation of His authority over devils, over creation, and over sin and disease. By the end of this lesson, the student is confronted with the same question the disciples wrestled with in Matthew 14: “What manner of man is this?” — and the only honest answer the Scriptures permit is, “Of a truth thou art the Son of God.”

Lesson Outline

I. Scriptures That Call Jesus God

• Philippians 2:5-6 — Christ thought it not robbery to be equal with God.

• John 5:18 — The Jews understood Him to be making Himself equal with God.

• Colossians 2:9 — In Him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily.

• Romans 9:5 — Christ, who is over all, God blessed for ever.

• Titus 2:13 and 2 Peter 1:1 — The great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ.

• 1 John 5:20 — This is the true God, and eternal life.

II. Scriptures Where Jesus Calls Himself God

• The “I AM” of Exodus 3:14 — the divine name belongs to Christ.

• John 4:26 — “I that speak unto thee am he.”

• John 8:24 — “If ye believe not that I am he, ye shall die in your sins.”

• John 8:58 — “Before Abraham was, I am.”

• The seven “I am” predicates of John’s Gospel — bread, light, door, shepherd, resurrection, way, vine.

• John 12:41 — Isaiah saw the glory of Christ.

III. Titles and Attributes Shared by God and Jesus

• Shared titles: Shepherd, Judge, Holy One, First and Last, Pierced One, Mighty God, Redeemer, Alpha and Omega.

• Shared attributes: eternal, omnipresent, omniscient, omnipotent, immutable.

IV. Works That Only God Can Do — and Jesus Does Them

• Creates (John 1:1-3), sustains creation, raises the dead, forgives sin, receives worship.

• Special focus on creation — John 1:1-3, three propositions: He was in the beginning; He was with God; He was God.

• “All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.”

V. The Authority of Jesus Christ

• Authority over devils — Mark 1:21-27. The unclean spirit obeys His voice.

• Authority over creation — Matthew 14:22-33. The wind ceases; the disciples worship Him.

• Authority over sin and disease — Mark 2:1-12. He forgives sin and heals the paralytic.

Key Scriptures

Philippians 2:5-6

Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God.

John 5:17-18

But Jesus answered them, My Father worketh hitherto, and I work. Therefore the Jews sought the more to kill him, because he not only had broken the sabbath, but said also that God was his Father, making himself equal with God.

Colossians 2:9

For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily.

Romans 9:5

Whose are the fathers, and of whom as concerning the flesh Christ came, who is over all, God blessed for ever. Amen.

Titus 2:13

Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ.

2 Peter 1:1

Simon Peter, a servant and an apostle of Jesus Christ, to them that have obtained like precious faith with us through the righteousness of God and our Saviour Jesus Christ.

1 John 5:20

And we know that the Son of God is come, and hath given us an understanding, that we may know him that is true, and we are in him that is true, even in his Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God, and eternal life.

Exodus 3:14

And God said unto Moses, I AM THAT I AM: and he said, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I AM hath sent me unto you.

John 4:25-26

The woman saith unto him, I know that Messias cometh, which is called Christ: when he is come, he will tell us all things. Jesus saith unto her, I that speak unto thee am he.

John 8:24

I said therefore unto you, that ye shall die in your sins: for if ye believe not that I am he, ye shall die in your sins.

John 8:58

Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I am.

John 12:41

These things said Esaias, when he saw his glory, and spake of him.

John 1:1-3

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.

Mark 1:23-27

And there was in their synagogue a man with an unclean spirit; and he cried out, Saying, Let us alone; what have we to do with thee, thou Jesus of Nazareth? art thou come to destroy us? I know thee who thou art, the Holy One of God. And Jesus rebuked him, saying, Hold thy peace, and come out of him. And when the unclean spirit had torn him, and cried with a loud voice, he came out of him. And they were all amazed, insomuch that they questioned among themselves, saying, What thing is this? what new doctrine is this? for with authority commandeth he even the unclean spirits, and they do obey him.

Matthew 14:32-33

And when they were come into the ship, the wind ceased. Then they that were in the ship came and worshipped him, saying, Of a truth thou art the Son of God.

Mark 2:9-12

Whether is it easier to say to the sick of the palsy, Thy sins be forgiven thee; or to say, Arise, and take up thy bed, and walk? But that ye may know that the Son of man hath power on earth to forgive sins, (he saith to the sick of the palsy,) I say unto thee, Arise, and take up thy bed, and go thy way into thine house. And immediately he arose, took up the bed, and went forth before them all; insomuch that they were all amazed, and glorified God, saying, We never saw it on this fashion.

Written Summary

The most important question any person can ask is, who is Jesus Christ? Lesson 2 of Who Is Jesus Christ? answers that question directly: Jesus is God. He is the second member of the triune Godhead, equal with the Father, eternally existent, and possessed of all the authority that belongs to God alone.

Pastor Josh builds the case from five angles. First, the Scriptures call Jesus God outright. Paul writes in Philippians 2:6 that Christ “thought it not robbery to be equal with God” — a claim no creature could ever make without robbing God of His glory. Yet Jesus made it without sin, because He is God. The Jews of John 5:18 understood this perfectly: they sought to kill Him because He was “making himself equal with God.” Colossians 2:9, Romans 9:5, Titus 2:13, 2 Peter 1:1, and 1 John 5:20 all bear the same witness — Jesus Christ is “the true God, and eternal life.”

Second, Jesus calls Himself God. The divine name revealed to Moses at the burning bush was “I AM THAT I AM” (Exodus 3:14). In John’s Gospel, the Lord Jesus repeatedly takes that name to Himself — to the woman at the well (John 4:26), to the Pharisees (John 8:24), and most stunningly in John 8:58: “Before Abraham was, I am.” He is the eternal, self-existent One. He fills out that name with the seven “I am” predicates of John — bread, light, door, shepherd, resurrection, way, vine — each one a window into who He is.

Third, the same titles and attributes that belong uniquely to God belong also to Jesus Christ. He is the Shepherd, the Judge, the Holy One, the First and the Last, the Pierced One, the Mighty God, the Redeemer, the Alpha and Omega. He is eternal, omnipresent, omniscient, omnipotent, immutable. These are not creaturely titles. They belong to God alone — and they belong to Jesus.

Fourth, Jesus does the works that only God can do. He creates (John 1:1-3), He sustains all things, He raises the dead, He forgives sin, He receives worship. The lesson focuses especially on creation: “All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.” Not some things. All things. He is the Creator — self-existent, before all things, the One in whom all things consist.

Fifth and finally, His authority is manifested wherever He goes. The unclean spirit in Mark 1 obeys His voice. The wind and the sea in Matthew 14 fall silent at His word, and the disciples worship Him saying, “Of a truth thou art the Son of God.” The paralytic in Mark 2 is forgiven and healed in the same breath, because the Son of Man has power on earth to forgive sins. He has authority over devils, over creation, and over sin and disease — because He is God.

The lesson closes where it began. This is the Christ. This is the One whose redemptive work — His death, burial, and resurrection — paid the debt and penalty of our sins so that we might have eternal life through faith in Him. There is no more important question, and there is no other answer.

Study Questions

1. Philippians 2:6 says Christ “thought it not robbery to be equal with God.” If you or I claimed equality with God, we would be robbing Him of His glory. Why was it not robbery for Christ to make that claim — and what does that one verse alone settle about His identity?

2. In John 8:58 Jesus says, “Before Abraham was, I am.” Why is that statement so significant in light of Exodus 3:14? Why did the Jews pick up stones immediately afterward?

3. Pastor Josh notes that the unclean spirit in Mark 1 recognized Jesus as “the Holy One of God” while the religious leaders of Israel did not. What does that tell you about the difference between knowing about Jesus and being willing to receive who He is?

4. The disciples in Matthew 14 worshipped Jesus after He calmed the wind, saying, “Of a truth thou art the Son of God.” When have the works of Christ in your own life pressed you toward that same confession?

5. Of the seven “I am” predicates in John’s Gospel — bread, light, door, shepherd, resurrection, way, vine — which one most clearly meets a need in your life right now? Why?

6. Pastor Josh repeatedly returns to the question, “What are you going to do with Jesus Christ?” If Jesus is who He claims to be, what does honest engagement with His authority look like in your daily walk?

7. How does this lesson change the way you read the Old Testament — particularly the passages where the great I AM speaks, judges, creates, and saves?

Review Questions

Question 1: In Philippians 2:6, Paul says Christ “thought it not robbery to be equal with God.” What does this teach us about Jesus?

• A. Jesus aspired to become equal with God but never quite reached it.

• B. Jesus was already equal with God, and claiming that equality took nothing away from the Father.

• C. Jesus rejected equality with God in favor of becoming a mere man.

• D. Jesus secretly stole His divine status from the Father.

Question 2: When Jesus said in John 8:58, “Before Abraham was, I am,” what was He claiming?

• A. That He was older than Abraham in human years.

• B. That He had been a prophet long before Abraham’s time.

• C. That He is the eternal, self-existent God of Exodus 3:14 — the great I AM.

• D. That He had merely studied Abraham’s life carefully.

Question 3: According to John 1:3, how much of creation was made by the Word (Jesus Christ)?

• A. Only the spiritual realm.

• B. Most of creation, but not all.

• C. All things — without Him was not any thing made that was made.

• D. Creation existed eternally and was not made by anyone.

Answer Key

1. B — Jesus was already equal with God. No creature can claim equality with God without robbing Him of His glory; Jesus made that claim without sin because He is God, the eternal second member of the triune Godhead.

2. C — He is the eternal I AM of Exodus 3:14. Jesus deliberately took to Himself the divine name God revealed to Moses at the burning bush — and the Jews understood Him so clearly that they immediately took up stones to kill Him for blasphemy.

3. C — All things — without Him was not any thing made that was made. John 1:3 leaves no room for exception; the Word created everything that exists, which means He Himself is uncreated, self-existent, and God.

Going Deeper

• Hebrews 1:1-3 — “the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person.” Pastor Josh referenced this in Lesson 1 and again here; it ties together the Father’s glory and the Son’s identity in a single sentence and is worth memorizing alongside John 1:1.

• Isaiah 6:1-5 — Isaiah’s vision of “the Lord, high and lifted up.” John 12:41 tells us this is the glory of Christ that Isaiah saw. Reading Isaiah 6 with that knowledge changes everything about the passage — and about who has been on the throne the whole time.

• Colossians 1:15-20 — Paul’s great Christological hymn. “By him were all things created… and he is before all things, and by him all things consist.” A perfect companion passage to John 1:1-3 and to this entire lesson.

Coming Up Next

Lesson 3 — If Jesus is God, what was He doing as a man? We will turn from the authority of Christ to the humanity of Christ — why God the Son took on flesh, what He came to accomplish, and why both His full deity and His full humanity are essential to the gospel.

Lesson 3

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Lesson Overview

Before we can answer the question “Who is Jesus Christ?” we must first answer a more foundational one: Who is the God of the Bible? Lesson 1 establishes the framework. It surveys six defining characteristics of the God of Scripture — Creator, Triune, Holy, Good, Love, and Saving God — and demonstrates from the text that Jesus Christ is not a mere man, a prophet, or a moral teacher, but the eternal second member of the triune Godhead.

This lesson also introduces the scope and aim of the entire course: that you would know Jesus Christ clearly, believe in him, and understand the redemption found in him alone. How you respond to Jesus Christ determines your eternal destiny. There is no more important question.

Lesson Outline

Introduction — The Most Important Question

• Aim of the course: know, believe in, and understand the redemption in Christ alone

• False views of Jesus: mere creature, one of many divine entities, moral teacher, social activist, benevolent prophet

• Scripture declares: Jesus is the eternal second member of the triune Godhead

Part 1 — A Glimpse of the Result: Jesus Is God

Hebrews 1:1-4

• Appointed heir of all things; made the worlds

• Brightness of God’s glory; express image of His person

• Upholds all things by the word of His power

• Purged our sins by Himself; seated at the right hand of the Majesty on high

• Better than angels — obtained a more excellent name

Colossians 2:9

• All the fullness of the Godhead dwells in Christ — bodily. Not partial. Not representative. Full.

John 1:1, 17-18

• “In the beginning was the Word” — He preceded the beginning; He is eternal

• “The Word was with God” — face to face, in relationship

• “The Word was God” — not merely divine, but God

• John 1:17 identifies the Word as Jesus Christ

Part 2 — Who Is the God of the Bible? Six Features

Feature 1: God Is the Creator

• Romans 1:19-20 — invisible things of God clearly seen in creation: eternal power and Godhead

• God is sourceful — the source of all life, substance, and light; not dependent on anything

• All other so-called gods are created beings who have rebelled; this God is the authority

Feature 2: God Is Triune

• Genesis 1:1-3 — God the Father, Spirit of God, and the Word (Christ) all present at creation

• Genesis 1:26 — “Let us make man in our image” — the us is the triune Godhead in context

• Deuteronomy 6:4 — one LORD: one in essence, three in persons

• No other religion presents a triune God — this distinguishes the God of the Bible

Feature 3: God Is Holy, Holy, Holy

• Isaiah 6:3 — “Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory”

• Threefold holiness reflects and corresponds to His triune nature

Feature 4: God Is Good

• Exodus 34:6 — God proclaims Himself: “merciful and gracious, longsuffering, abundant in goodness and truth”

• Ephesians 5:9 — the fruit of the Spirit is goodness, righteousness, and truth — because God is good

Feature 5: God Is Love

• 1 John 4:8 — “God is love” — not that He generates love, but that He is love

• Only the triune God can make this claim — a singular god has no one to love before creation

• Love within the Godhead overflows to man; it is the remedy for man’s failure to meet His holiness

Feature 6: God Is a Saving God

• Romans 5:8 — “while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us”

• 1 Timothy 2:3-5 — one God, one mediator: Christ Jesus, who gave Himself a ransom for all

• Salvation found only in Christ; received by faith alone, not works

Key Scriptures

Hebrews 1:1-4

God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds; who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high; being made so much better than the angels, as he hath by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they.

Colossians 2:9

For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily.

John 1:1

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

John 1:17-18

For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ. No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him.

Romans 1:19-20

Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed it unto them. For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse.

Genesis 1:1-3

In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters. And God said, Let there be light: and there was light.

Genesis 1:26

And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness.

Deuteronomy 6:4

Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God is one LORD.

Isaiah 6:3

And one cried unto another, and said, Holy, holy, holy, is the LORD of hosts: the whole earth is full of his glory.

Exodus 34:6

And the LORD passed by before him, and proclaimed, The LORD, The LORD God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abundant in goodness and truth.

Ephesians 5:9

For the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness and righteousness and truth.

1 John 4:8

He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love.

Romans 5:8

But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.

1 Timothy 2:3-5

For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour; who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth. For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus; who gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time.

Written Summary

The question that drives this entire course is stated plainly at the outset: Who is Jesus Christ? It is the most important question any person will ever face. How you respond to it determines your eternal destiny. This lesson does not answer the question in full — that is the work of the lessons to come — but it establishes the framework without which no answer is possible.

Before we can understand who Jesus Christ is, we must understand who the God of the Bible is. Not all gods are the same. The God of the Bible is distinguished from every other god claimed by every other religion by six defining characteristics.

He is the Creator. From Romans 1, the invisible things of God — His eternal power and Godhead — are clearly seen in what He made. He is not resourceful; He is the source. He is the origin of all life, substance, and light. Every other so-called god is a created being that has rebelled. This one is the source of all things.

He is Triune. This is what sets the God of the Bible apart from every other god in every other religion. In Genesis 1, God the Father, the Spirit of God, and the Word — who is Christ — are all present at creation. God says “Let us make man in our image.” The us is already established in the text. He is one in essence and three in persons. No singular god has rightful claim on this.

He is Holy, Holy, Holy. The threefold repetition in Isaiah 6 is not accidental. It corresponds to the triune nature of God. The seraphim cry it because He is the Creator of all the earth and its fullness belongs to His glory.

He is Good. Exodus 34 records God proclaiming His own name as He passes before Moses: merciful, gracious, longsuffering, abundant in goodness and truth. The fruit of the Spirit in Ephesians 5 is goodness — because God is good.

He is Love. First John 4:8 does not say that God generates love. It says that God is love. Only the triune God can make this claim in truth. A singular god, before creation and before any creature existed to love, has nothing to love. But within the Godhead there is relationship, selflessness, and love shared among the three persons — and it overflows to His creatures. It is that love that becomes the remedy for man’s failure to meet His holiness.

He is a Saving God. Romans 5:8 says that God commended His love in that Christ died for sinners. First Timothy 2 declares there is one God and one mediator — the man Christ Jesus, who gave Himself a ransom for all. God saves through Himself, through His Son. Salvation is found only in Christ, received by faith alone.

This is the God of the Bible. And the claim of this course — and the claim of Scripture — is that Jesus Christ is the eternal second member of this Godhead. Not a moral teacher. Not a prophet. Not a creature. God. The brightness of His glory. The express image of His person. The one in whom all the fullness of the Godhead dwells bodily.

Study Questions

• Before this lesson, how would you have answered “Who is Jesus Christ?” How has your answer changed or been sharpened?

• Pastor Josh says there is no more important question than “Who is Jesus Christ?” Do you agree? What makes it different from other important questions?

• Colossians 2:9 says all the fullness of the Godhead dwells in Christ bodily. What does that mean for how we relate to Jesus? What does it rule out?

• What is the significance of the triune nature of God for the claim that “God is love”? Why can only the triune God make this claim truthfully?

• Romans 1:19-20 says the invisible things of God are clearly seen through what He created. What does creation reveal about God — and what does it not reveal?

• God is described here as Creator, Triune, Holy, Good, Love, and Saving. Which of these is most surprising to you, and why?

• If God is a saving God and salvation is only in Christ, what are the implications for how you think about other religions and other paths to God?

Review Questions

Question 1: According to Colossians 2:9, what dwells in Jesus Christ bodily?

• A. The wisdom of God

• B. All the fullness of the Godhead

• C. The Spirit of God alone

• D. The glory of the Father

Question 2: In Genesis 1:26, God says “Let us make man in our image.” Who does the “us” refer to?

• A. God and the angels

• B. God speaking to Himself in a literary device

• C. The triune God — Father, Spirit, and Word — already present in context

• D. God and the heavenly council

Question 3: According to John 1:1, which is true of “the Word”?

• A. The Word came into being at the beginning

• B. The Word was created before all things

• C. The Word was with God and was God — existing before the beginning

• D. The Word was a messenger sent from God

Question 4: Which passage records God proclaiming Himself as “merciful and gracious, longsuffering, abundant in goodness and truth”?

• A. Isaiah 6:3

• B. Romans 5:8

• C. 1 John 4:8

• D. Exodus 34:6

Question 5: Why can only the triune God rightfully claim to “be love”?

• A. Because God created love and therefore possesses it

• B. Because within the Godhead there is genuine relationship and selfless love shared among persons before any creature existed [CORRECT]

• C. Because God demonstrated love by creating the world

• D. Because love is an attribute added to God at creation

Answer Key

1. B — All the fullness of the Godhead dwells in Christ bodily — not partially or representatively, but fully, confirming that Jesus Christ is God.

2. C — God, the Spirit of God, and the Word are already present in Genesis 1:1-3; “let us” reflects the triune Godhead involved in creation together.

3. C — “In the beginning was the Word” means He preceded the beginning — not created at the start but existing before it, both with God and God.

4. D — Exodus 34:6 is God’s own proclamation of His character as He passes before Moses — one of the most direct self-declarations of God’s goodness in Scripture.

5. B — A singular god has no one to love before creation; the triune God has always had genuine relationship and selfless love within the Godhead, making “God is love” a statement of His eternal nature.

Going Deeper

John 1:14

The Word became flesh — connects John 1:1 directly to the incarnation and is the next step in understanding how the eternal God entered human history.

Isaiah 43:10-11

“Before me there was no God formed, neither shall there be after me” — God’s exclusive claim as the only God and the only Saviour.

Revelation 4:8-11

The living creatures cry “Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty” and the elders worship Him as Creator — a New testament echo of Isaiah 6 tying creation, holiness, and worship together.

Coming Up Next

“In Lesson 2 we will move from who God is to who Jesus Christ specifically is — examining the names, titles, and offices Scripture assigns to Him, and what each one means for how we understand and relate to Him.”

Lesson 2