Jesus the founder of the world
Jesus was with God in the beginning, and came forth from God. This is found in several verses, including John 1:1-5, “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 anything made that was made. In him was life; and the life was the light of men. And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not.” It also states Jesus came forth from God in John 16:27-30 and John 13:3. Jesus also bore the image of God, as it states in Colossians 1:15. Jesus was in the beginning with God, as it states in Genesis 1:1-3 and John 1:1-5. Therefore, Jesus should be called Alpha, which means “beginning.” Jesus also spoke in Revelation 1:8 that He is “the Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending.” In the same chapter, verse 11, He states again that He is the Alpha and Omega, which makes Him the first and the last, He says. He backs up the fact He is the first and the last in verse 17 of the same chapter. Then, some of Jesus’ last words in Revelation 22:13, He said the same things, “I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last.”
Who Jesus really is
Jesus is the eternal Son of God. Therefore, Jesus was with God in the beginning, labeled in John 3:16 as the only begotten Son. Jesus is God, as it states in John 1:1. Jesus was the one who spoke things into existence, as it says, “God said…,” which begins in Genesis 1:3. Also states similarly in Colossians 1:16. Jesus is also glorified through the Father, according to John 17:5. Scripture explains in John 1:18 and 1 John 1:2 that Jesus has a conscious existence distinct from God the Father; however, He is inseparable from Him. Jesus is directly associated with the Father, according to John 1:18.
“And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father) full of grace and truth,” says in John 1:14. This means that the Word, Jesus that is, eventually became flesh and dwelt among people. Jesus is one part of three beings in the Godhead, which is referenced to in several passages, including Genesis 1:1-3, John 1:1-5, and John 1:32. It was amazing that when Jesus was baptized, a dove descended from Heaven, which represented the Holy Spirit, was with Him; as well as God the Father with Him. This shows the beauty of God working together as three beings in unity.
Jesus is also the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world, according to Revelation 13:8. By having all this spoken, it verifies that Jesus is indeed the creator of all things, as He was the beginning (the Alpha that is), and the Lamb that was slain from the foundation of the world. Because Jesus created all things, He also plans on the destruction and renewal of all things, as prophesied in Revelation.
Jesus is The Passover Lamb. He was the one (Lamb) slain from the foundation of the world, as mentioned in Revelation 13:8. In the Old Testament, a lamb was substituted for the remission of sins. This is according to one reference: Leviticus 4:35, “And he shall take away all the fat thereof, as the fat of the lamb is taken away from the sacrifice of the peace offerings; and the priest shall burn them upon the altar, according to the offerings made by fire unto the Lord: and the priest shall make an atonement for his sin that he hath committed, and it shall be forgiven him.” However, in the New Testament, it shows that Jesus was issued as the substitute for the remission of sins – meaning He is the one slain for the redemption of sins instead of the blood of an animal/lamb. He is the Passover Lamb (slain for our sins). One reference for this is in John 1:29, “The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.” This is all because without the shedding of blood, there is no forgiveness (Hebrews 9:22).
Jesus is glorified in our midst as the "last Adam", because He didn't fail the test of temptation from the enemy like the "first Adam" did. Jesus declared "It is written" to every temptation from the enemy (you can see this in Luke 4:1-14 for example). Now, 1 Corinthians 15:45 says, "And so it is written, The first man Adam was made a living soul; the last Adam was made a quickening spirit." Back in verse 22 of the same chapter is says, "For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive."
Melchizedek had many qualities that we see eventually manifest in Jesus, as if Melchizedek was a “jesus” in his time. Melchizedek’s genealogy was compared to Jesus’. Then, the sacrifice made perfect in Communion was emblematic in Melchizedek’s priestly reign just as Jesus used Communion (bread and wine). The priesthood was carried forever after the order of Melchizedek’s reign, because the Lord swore it so. Therefore, Jesus’ reign was after the everlasting order of the priesthood of Melchizedek. Jesus is the High Priest similar to how Melchizedek was a high priest. Jesus proclaimed Himself greater than Abraham and as the king of righteousness and of peace – Just like Melchizedek was in righteousness and in peace.
Exodus 15:26, “And said, If thou wilt diligently hearken to the voice of the LORD thy God, and wilt do that which is right in his sight, and wilt give ear to his commandments, and keep all his statutes, I will put none of these diseases upon thee, which I have brought upon the Egyptians: for I am the LORD that healeth thee.” This shows that “I Am” will not put diseases upon them, but will heal them if they keep the commandments and do rightly. Then in Matthew 5:17, “Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil.” This shows that because most people cannot keep the law/commandments – or even do rightly…Jesus says He’s come to fulfill the law.
Each of these books are part of the foundation of His Story
In Psalm, Jesus is the true shepherd (61:2-3 and 23:1). No matter what had happened, or what calamity was brought up in the start of a psalm, the ending rang clear who God was (Psalm 5 or 22, for example). Through our trials, as we learn in Psalms, Jesus is our shepherd – who not only allows justice and trial, but also brings comfort, peace, and restoration to our weary soul (Psalm 23, for example). It proves to be an encouragement in the trials that we face, to look upon the Psalms as what we can find the promises and hope that God brings. He brings gladness to a gloomy heart, becomes our fortress in any situation – effectively fighting for us, and delivering us from evil (18:2-3). In Psalm 109:4, “For my love they are my adversaries: but I give myself unto prayer.” This relates to Luke 23:34, where Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.” It seems that even if Jesus sees that they are adversaries, He still loves them as He instructs us to love our enemies (Matthew 5:44). In Psalm 110:1, “The Lord said unto my Lord, Sit thou at my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool.” This relates to Matthew 22:44, where Jesus says, “The LORD said unto my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand, till I make thine enemies thy footstool?” Jesus does sit at the Father’s right hand. Enemies are indeed likely, therefore, Jesus is promised to be an overcomer of His enemies, as it shows. In Psalm 118:22, “The stone which the builders refused is become the head stone of the corner.” This relates to Matthew 21:42, where Jesus said, “Did ye never read in the scriptures, The stone which the builders rejected, the same is become the head of the corner: this is the Lord's doing, and it is marvellous in our eyes?” Christ would be the true foundation then, because of being rejected, He became the cornerstone or head stone.
In Proverbs, Jesus is our wisdom (2:6). Through Jesus Christ, our eternal walk with God will bring wisdom and understanding to our mind and eyes (2:10; 24:14). It will bring hope to our heart to know the promises of God for nearly every, if not all, situations that we will face (3:13). Through the wisdom that God supplied upon Solomon, each person, believer or unbeliever, can find wisdom as well. There was none wiser than Solomon was until Jesus came upon the earth (Matthew 12:42).
In Ecclesiastes, Jesus is the one above all things. Jesus is the bread and the light, according to Ecclesiastes 11:1, 7. He is also the deliverer of vanity (12:13-14). Because of Jesus, our life can be filled with good things that shall prosper (11:4-6). Ecclesiastes is different from the rest of the Books of the Bible in that it portrays a picture or “vanity” of life without God, as it says in the following: 1:14, “I have seen all the works that are done under the sun; and, behold, all is vanity and vexation of spirit.” 2:26, “For God giveth to a man that is good in his sight wisdom, and knowledge, and joy: but to the sinner he giveth travail, to gather and to heap up, that he may give to him that is good before God. This also is vanity and vexation of spirit.” 3:16-17, “And moreover I saw under the sun the place of judgment, that wickedness was there; and the place of righteousness, that iniquity was there. I said in mine heart, God shall judge the righteous and the wicked: for there is a time there for every purpose and for every work.” Ecc. 12:13-14, “Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man. For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil.”
In Song of Solomon, Jesus is indeed our love, our hope, our bride, and our song. Jesus is the most valuable lover we could ever have. He is our intimate one, and we can become more intimate with Him, if we focus on the beauty of the Song of Solomon (for example, 4:15-16). How amazing it is written in a way to use in any situation of love, as it relays the desires, beauty, and hope in a person’s heart (7:10). The Song of Solomon is the displaying (physically, mentally, emotionally, etc.) of the passionate love between two persons – whether it be between another person or with God. In Isaiah 62:5, God compares Himself to a bridegroom, and His Church to a bride – which encompasses what our relationship should be to Christ.
Scripture says in Luke 2:40, “And the child [Jesus] grew, and waxed strong in the spirit, filled with wisdom: and the grace of God was upon him.” Also, says, in Matthew 12:42, “The queen of the south shall rise up in the judgment with this generation, and shall condemn it: for she came from the uttermost parts of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and, behold, a greater than Solomon is here (Jesus).” Rewind in Proverb 3:19, where it said (as I believe this describes Jesus also), “The Lord by wisdom hath founded the earth; by understanding hath he established the heavens.”
Jesus in Isaiah was described as the coming Messiah and the Immanuel (God with us). A memory verse would be Isaiah 7:14, which is my favorite of Isaiah’s prophecy, which says, “Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.” In Isaiah 42:3, it says, “A bruised reed shall he not break; and the smoking flax shall he not quench: he shall bring forth judgment unto truth.” What I think this means is that Jesus will not deal roughly with those that come unto Him for salvation – in that even though we were still sinners, Christ died for us (Romans 5:8). Therefore, even if we’re riddled with sin, Christ will still give us salvation so we can obtain the grace and favor of God.
Jesus in Jeremiah shows that Jesus is the coming shepherd, one to become a friend to His people. Jesus’ true heart was that His people – the people of Israel – would come back to their first love and be restored to a relationship with Him. A memory verse in Jeremiah would be in 23:5-6, “Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will raise unto David a righteous Branch, and a King shall reign and prosper, and shall execute judgment and justice in the earth. In his days Judah shall be saved, and Israel shall dwell safely: and this is his name whereby he shall be called, THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS.” Lamentations shows Jesus as a man of sorrows, as explained in the readings. Jesus’ weeping and heart for the Israelites shows that He truly wanted them back to their first love. Similar in Jeremiah, Lamentations shows the true heart of the prophet (whether Jeremiah or Jesus), and how they want Israel to be restored to a relationship with the Lord. A memory verse to keep in mind would be, “The LORD is my portion, saith my soul; therefore will I hope in him” (Lam. 3:24). Jeremiah portrays the suffering of Jesus the most, because Jeremiah focuses on the weeping over Israel in both his own book and in a very separate book (Lamentations) just for the weeping over of Israel. It says in the text that Jeremiah’s heart was wrung with severe sorrow over the stubborn rejection of his utterances to God’s people (just as Jesus’ teachings were rejected). Jeremiah’s fearless rebuking of sin brought him reproach, rejection, and suffering – as the text says – very much relates to Jesus as well. False prophets too also opposed Jesus, as Jesus was accused of treachery in his own country just like Jeremiah was. This all seems like a proof that Jeremiah portrays the suffering of Jesus the most. Jesus’ heart, like Jeremiah’s heart for Israel was authentically weeping, because of its falling away. There is none more of a wish than for God’s people to come back to their first love, and I think this is one of the biggest dedications is that God’s people will be restored to a relationship with their first love. Moreover, because of this dedication, it’s spanned throughout all generations in the church, beyond Israel.
In Ezekiel, Jesus could be described as the coming shepherd, just as in Jeremiah. A good verse to back this up and further the point would be in 34:23, “And I will set up one shepherd over them, and he shall feed them, even my servant David; he shall feed them, and he shall be their shepherd.” How great it is that Jesus is our Shepherd.
Jesus in the book of Daniel shows that He is the coming ruler of the world. Also, that Jesus is the coming rescuer of His people (whether from Israel or not). This would further the claim that there is a coming savior of the world, which may have been implied by Daniel. A good set of memory verses in Daniel would be found in 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.”
Daniel 10:5-9, “Then I lifted up mine eyes, and looked, and behold a certain man clothed in linen, whose loins were girded with fine gold of Uphaz: His body also was like the beryl, and his face as the appearance of lightning, and his eyes as lamps of fire, and his arms and his feet like in colour to polished brass, and the voice of his words like the voice of a multitude. And I Daniel alone saw the vision: for the men that were with me saw not the vision; but a great quaking fell upon them, so that they fled to hide themselves. Therefore I was left alone, and saw this great vision, and there remained no strength in me: for my comeliness was turned in me into corruption, and I retained no strength. Yet heard I the voice of his words: and when I heard the voice of his words, then was I in a deep sleep on my face, and my face toward the ground.”
Revelation 1:12-16, “And I turned to see the voice that spake with me. And being turned, I saw seven golden candlesticks; in the midst of the seven candlesticks one like unto the Son of man, clothed with a garment down to the foot, and girt about the paps with a golden girdle. His head and his hairs were white like wool, as white as snow; and his eyes were as a flame of fire; And his feet like unto fine brass, as if they burned in a furnace; and his voice as the sound of many waters. And he had in his right hand seven stars: and out of his mouth went a sharp twoedged sword: and his countenance was as the sun shineth in his strength.”
Both of these descriptions show Christ as clothed in a garment of some kind, girted with gold upon His loins, His eyes like a flame of fire, feet that appear like brass, and a voice that sounded like a multitude or waters (possibly many tones, sounds, etc.). Seemed like both Daniel and John could not stand at the presence of Jesus as He’d appeared to them in the vision.
In Hosea, Jesus is indeed the free, faithful lover and the forgiver. The memory verse that is best is Hosea 14:4, “I will heal their backsliding, I will love them freely: for mine anger is turned away from him.”
Joel shows Jesus as the hope of His people and the restorer/strength of the people of Israel. He is the one who shall “…roar out of Zion, and utter his voice from Jerusalem, and the heavens and the earth shall shake: but the Lord will be the hope of his people, and the strength of the children of Israel” (3:16).
Jesus is revealed in Amos as being the bearer of our burdens, and the one who restores the house of David. A memorable verse would be in 9:11, “In that day will I raise up the tabernacle of David that is fallen, and close up the breaches thereof; and I will raise up his ruins, and I will build it as in the days of old.” This is a good reminder that the Lord is the restorer.
In Obadiah, we see Jesus as a mighty savior. Obadiah 1:15 is a perfect memory verse – as it describes the Lord well, “For the day of the Lord is near upon all the heathen: as thou hast done, it shall be done unto thee: thy reward shall return upon thine own head.”
In Jonah, Jesus is the one greater than Jonah, the one who overcomes death, and is the salvation for His people. The mark of repentance is in the memory verse of Jonah 3:10, “And God saw their works, that they turned from their evil way; and God repented of the evil, that he had said that he would do unto them; and he did it not.”
Micah shows Jesus as the coming Messiah, our coming ruler, and our coming peace. In 5:2, it says, “But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting.”
Jesus is our stronghold in the book of Nahum, as it says in 1:7, “The Lord is good, a strong hold in the day of trouble; and he knoweth them that trust in him.”
In Habakkuk, Jesus is the God of our salvation and the firm foundation of faith. In 2:20, it says, “But the Lord is in his holy temple: let all the earth keep silence before him.”
In Zephaniah, Jesus is the King and glory of Israel, and is the Prince of Peace. 3:15 says it best, “The LORD hath taken away thy judgments, he hath cast out thine enemy: the king of Israel, even the LORD, is in the midst of thee: thou shalt not see evil any more.”
Jesus is our restorer and deliverer in the book of Haggai, as it says in 2:7, “And I will shake all nations, and the desire of all nations shall come: and I will fill this house with glory, saith the Lord of hosts.”
When we look at Zechariah, we see that Jesus is the Prince of Peace and the King of Zion. He is once again proclaimed as the Prince of Peace and as a king. He is the one true king and the one ruler over all that brings peace. We see evidence of this in 9:9, “Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion; shout, O daughter of Jerusalem: behold, thy King cometh unto thee: he is just, and having salvation; lowly, and riding upon an ass, and upon a colt the foal of an ass.”
In Malachi, Jesus is the Sun of righteousness, the healer, and the promise of mankind. In Malachi 4:2, “But unto you that fear my name shall the Sun of righteousness arise with healing in his wings; and ye shall go forth, and grow up as calves of the stall.
New Testament
The New Testament starts out in Matthew, where Jesus is declared as the King of the Jews (Matthew 2:2), and that He is the promised Messiah (Matthew 16:16-19; 26:63).
In the book of Mark, Jesus is the Son of God (Mark 1:1), and that Jesus became a servant to give His own life for the world (Mark 10:45). In Mark 14:35, Jesus demonstrates prayer in difficult times, and that it is important to pray to God during struggles so that He can assist.
In Luke, Jesus is declared as the Son of Man (Luke 5:24-25; 9:22-23; perfect Son of Man: 19:10). Jesus gives us a glimpse in Luke of having real joy, where we can joy in His redemption, salvation, and resurrection (Luke 15:7, 10, and 32).
John describes Jesus as the Word Made Flesh (John 1:1-4). John’s purpose for his book to be written in found in John 20:31, where he states his desire that people might believe Jesus is the Son of God and that they can receive eternal life through Him. John reveals Jesus the most out of the previous gospels: as the bread of life (6:35), the I Am (8:58), the light of the world (9:5), the good shepherd (10:11-14), the Son of God (10:36), the resurrection and life (11:25), Teacher and Lord (13:13), the way, the truth, and the life (14:6).
In the book of Acts, Jesus is described as savior, redeemer, baptizer with the Holy Ghost, and the power from on High. In Acts 5:31-32, He was called Prince and Saviour. In Acts 10:44, it says, “While Peter yet spake these words, the Holy Ghost fell on all them which heard the word.” Acts 4:12 declares that we need salvation and that it cannot be found in anyone else (except for Jesus).
In Romans, Paul describes Jesus as the savior and redeemer as well, the justifier (Romans 3:23-24), our grace (6:14), peace, hope, and joy (5:11, 17; 15:13). Romans 5:1 declares that peace comes through faith in our savior, Jesus Christ. Then, in Romans 10:3-4 that Christ is the only way to righteousness, and goes on to say in 6-9 that one has to admit that Jesus is the Lord and has be raised from the dead in order to be saved.
Now, in 1 Corinthians, Jesus is the sanctifier (1:2), our Passover (5:7), the Rock (10:4), the Risen One (15:20), the Quickening Spirit (15:45), the incorruptible one (15:52), and our Victory (15:57).
In 2 Corinthians, Jesus is a comforter (1:3-4), our sufficiency (3:5), and the light of knowledge (4:6). We are Christ’s ambassadors (5:20), and that suffering for His sake is worth is (4:5).
In Galatians, Jesus is our liberty (5:1, 13) and the justifier (3:24). We can boast in the cross, according to 6:14 – and that in the fact of the cross, we are a new creation/new person. In Ephesians, Jesus is the head over all things in the church (1:22) and our inheritance (1:18).
Ephesians 1:10 states that God will bring into unity those who are in Jesus Christ when He returns. We see in Philippians where Christ is the supplier of all of our needs (4:19). We learn in Philippians 3:20 that our citizenship is in Heaven, and that we await our savior, Jesus Christ.
Next, in Colossians, we read that Jesus created all things (1:16), that He is the forgiver (2:13), and that He is the completion of us in Him (2:10). In 1 and 2 Thessalonians, Jesus is the coming King and the soon mighty returning Messiah.
In 1 Thessalonians, Jesus will meet His people in the clouds, as we are all caught up (4:17).
In 2 Thessalonians, we find that Jesus will give us peace at all times and in every way (3:16).
In 1 Timothy, Jesus is the enabler (1:12), our good confession and quickener (6:13), and the Man of God (6:11). Jesus is the one mediator between God and men, and He is the ransom for all men (2:5-6).
Then, in 2 Timothy, Jesus is the promise of life (1:1) and our Teacher (1:11). We learn in 1:12 that Christ gives us the power to protect our souls (guarding them).
Titus describes Jesus as the Bishop of our soul (1:7), the faithful word (1:9), and the blessed hope (2:13). We learn that the Holy Spirit was poured on us generously through Jesus Christ (3:4-7).
Finally, in Philemon, Jesus is our consolation and brother (1:7). A full understanding of every good thing is possible through Jesus Christ (1:6).
Jesus is first described in Hebrews 1 as being superior to angels. In 1:4, it says, “Being made so much better than the angels, as he hath by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they.” In 1:6, the angels even worship Jesus. Then, in chapters 2-10, it talks about Jesus’ superior priesthood. In 2:17, the author talks about Jesus being the “faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make reconciliation for the sins of the people.” In chapter 3, Jesus was declared as greater than Moses (verse 3). Christ is the faithful Son over God’s house (verse 6). Jesus is the great high priest and Son of God (4:14). Jesus is the source of all eternal salvation through Him (5:9). Jesus is a high priest after the order of Melchisedec (6:20), and is the guarantee of a better covenant (7:22). So, Jesus is the high priest of a new covenant (8:6-13). In 9:15, we learn that Christ is the mediator of the New Covenant and is our ransom as He died for our sins under the Old Covenant. In 9:28, it says that Christ only had to be sacrificed once to take away our sins and bring salvation. We are made holy through the sacrifice of the body of Christ (10:10). Therefore, the Lord puts His law on our hearts and writes them on our minds (10:16), and the sins and lawless acts the Lord will not remember anymore (10:17).
In the Book of Revelation, Jesus is the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the ending, and the almighty (1:8). Jesus showed up in a glorious appearance (1:12-16), and then began to address each church in Asia what good and bad things they have done, how they can improve, and how to strengthen believers to prepare them for the end times (Revelation 2-3). When John looks to Heaven and sees God on His throne next to the elders, he noticed that God had asked who was worthy to open the book with the seven seals. The only one found to be able to open the Seven Seals would be The Lamb (that was slain) (5:1-7). Next, The Lamb began opening the seals. As He opened them, different things had happened as according to the judgment that God had for the earth. Soon, seven trumpets were to be blown, which released even more judgment upon the earth. In chapters 12-13, a beast arose that would mock the power of Christ and attempt to act like Christ. Later, in chapter 19:11, Jesus arrived on a white horse, and was called Faithful and True. The one who judges and makes war arrived. His glorious appearance was apparent, and He was followed by armies of Heaven (19:14). On His robe and thigh were the words “KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS” (19:16). Jesus spoke toward the beast, false prophet, and those with the mark of the beast – and threw them into the lake of fire (19:20-21). After a thousand year reign with His people, the devil being released and war breaking out, Jesus defeating the enemy and his strongholds, the judging of mankind, and the renewal of the heavens and earth – Jesus declared that He is coming soon. He spoke again of being the Alpha and the Omega in 21:6.
HALLELUJAH!
