Who do you say Jesus is?

I love discussing theology with people. When discussing Christianity with people from other denominations there has to be some place to begin, some starting point, where we can agree. That starting point is this: "Who do you say Jesus is?"

I can talk with Baptists, Methodists, Assembly of God because those denominations believe the same thing about Jesus. We may disagree about other doctrinal issues. But there is agreement about who Jesus is.

When I talk with people who are Mormons or Jehovah Witnesses there is no agreement on who Jesus is. So who is Jesus?

Jesus is God in the flesh. He is the second person of the Trinity. He died on the cross to pay for the sins of the world (at this point I am not going to get into election). He paid the debt that mankind owed God so that all who believe could be forgiven of their debt against God.

Mormons don't believe that Jesus is God. Jehovah Witnesses don't believe that Jesus is God. I have talked to Mormons and Jehovah Witnesses. Mormons believe that Jesus was a created being and is the brother of Lucifer. Not only is that wrong; it is blasphemous.

Jehovah Witnesses believe that Jesus is a little "god." They don't believe that Jesus is equal to God the Father. When Jesus rose from the dead he came back as Michael the Archangel. Again, that is blasphemous.

Who you say that Jesus is is fundamental to being a Christian. Period. If Jesus is not God in the flesh He could not have paid for sins by dying on the cross because ONLY God can forgive sins. And we are not allowed to worship Jesus if He is not God. Period. Jesus is not another God. Jesus is God the same as the Father is God and the Holy Spirit is God. Can I explain the Trinity or completely understand it. Nope.

So I end this blog with what I started with: Who do you say Jesus is?