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Seven Men Named Jesus

Selah » The Bible's Authority

Ever discover while talking with someone that you may have a mutual friend? Then as you get further into the conversation you realize that you are describing two different people who happen to have the same name? So it is with discussions of Jesus. The name's the same but the descriptions vary widely. Over the years I've collected numerous descriptions of men named Jesus. Which one do you know?

Six Men Named Jesus

First there's the Jesus of Judaism. He's known in Jewish writings as the illegitimate son of Miriam (Mary). He lived in the first century CE (they don't use AD) and led people from main stream Judaism into a cult. His followers were first called Netzerim (people of the branch) and later Christians. In his name Jews have been persecuted unmercifully over the centuries.

Then you have the Jesus of Islam. There was an article about him in a recent newsmagazine. He was a prophet and teacher on a par with Mohammed. His role was to help prepare people for the great leader from Allah coming at the end of time to judge the world. (In that same article, a Buddhist monk named Jesus was also mentioned. Number 8?)

The Jesus of Mormonism is the brother of Lucifer and the human offspring of a sexual union between a god who himself was once a man and an unmarried Jewish girl named Mary.

The Jehovah's Witnesses have a Jesus too. He's a son of Jehovah and captain of the Lord's Host. In the Bible, he also appears as the Archangel Michael.

Then there's the Jesus of the liberal denominations. He's a first century man who lived an exemplary life of such gentleness and grace that it was almost as if he was God. He'll see that everyone who joins their denominations gets accepted into heaven whether they've accepted him as their Savior or not. Some adherents of liberal theology also claim that he'll see that everyone who was sincere in whatever religion they practiced will get to heaven.

The New Age Jesus is really one of the oldest. He originally appeared in first century Gnosticism. This Jesus was a man who like 40 other "ascended masters" holds the key to knowledge (gnosis) that when learned will bring about the next phase of human evolution, a spiritual growth that will finally make peace on earth possible.

You'll find variations on these six themes in nearly every major religion and cult around today. It seems every body wants you to think they know a man named Jesus, even if they have to redefine him to suit their beliefs.

Jesus Number Seven

But there is one more man named Jesus. He's the Jesus of the Bible. He claimed to be God in the form of man (John 10:30 and 14:9). Men who knew Him agreed. Paul taught the Deity of Jesus in Colossians 1:15-16. So did John (John 1:1). The writer of the Book of Hebrews also agreed (Hebr 1:3) and included a quote from Psalm 45:6-7 that shows God Himself addressing Jesus as God (Hebr 1:8).

Will the Real Jesus Please Stand Up?

Here's where your knowledge of Scripture becomes really important, because in order to be all the Bible claims, Jesus has to be both 100% man and 100% God.

If He isn't a man He couldn't have lived our life as Hebr. 2:18 claims; he couldn't be our High Priest as Hebr. 4:14-15 assert; and he can't be our redeemer because he wouldn't be our next of kin as required by Lev. 25 and explained in Rom 5:18-19.

If He isn't God He couldn't be King David's Lord (Matt 22:41-45) He couldn't be sinless (Rom 3:20) and He couldn't be our Savior (Mark 2:6-12 and 1 Ptr 1: 18-21).

Is This a Cult?

Three things distinguish Christian cult beliefs from orthodox theology. The cults deny the doctrine of salvation by grace alone. You have to earn at least part of the salvation they offer. They deny the notion of eternal punishment for sin. Everyone goes to some kind of Heaven. Most importantly, they deny the deity of Jesus. They portray Him as a great man and role model; a great teacher, a prophet, even a social revolutionary.

In truth He was all that. But He was also much more. He was God in the form of man; the Father dwelling in the Son (Col 1:19). To think of Jesus as anyone other than God is to reject the truth concerning Him revealed through out His Word.