Isaiah describes the child that was to be born in Isaiah 9: 6, “For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.” The person that died on the cross for our sins was not just any person. He was “The mighty God”, “The everlasting Father” and “The Prince of Peace”.

Isaiah 43: 10-11 states, “Ye are my witnesses, saith the LORD, and my servant whom I have chosen: that ye may know and believe me, and understand that I am he: before me there was no God formed, neither shall there be after me. I even I, am the LORD; and beside me there is no saviour.” In this scripture, the Lord is making it known that there is no other God besides him – none else was formed before him and none else would be formed after him. He then describes himself as the saviour. He was giving us the true identity of the person that was to come later to die for our sins. Deuteronomy 6: 4 states, “Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God is one LORD.” Isaiah 45: 22 states, “Look unto me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth: for I am God, and there is none else.”

We read about Paul, when he was still called Saul, of his contact with the Lord Jesus after his resurrection in Acts 9: 1-9, “And Saul, yet breathing out threatening and slaughter against the disciples of the Lord, went unto the high priest, and desired of him letters to Damascus, to the synagogues, that if he found any of this way, whether they were men or women, he might bring them bound unto Jerusalem. 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. And the men which journeyed with him stood speechless, hearing a voice, but seeing no man. And Saul arose from the earth; and when his eyes were opened, he saw no man: but they led him by the hand, and brought him into Damascus. And he was three days without sight, and neither did eat nor drink.” Saul was on his way to Damascus with the purpose of going to arrest the believers. Jesus had already died and had risen from the dead. He had already ascended into heaven. As Saul journeyed to Damascus, a bright light shone around about him from heaven and he heard a voice of someone speaking to him. He asked the Lord who was speaking to him to identify himself – for he said “Who art thou, Lord?” The Lord identified himself and said “I am Jesus”.He trembled and was astonished. He realized he was dealing with the Almighty.

Paul was able to declare who Jesus truly is in Colossians 1: 15-17: “Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature: For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him: And he is before all things, and by him all things consist.” Paul is declaring that the Lord Jesus is the creator of all things. It makes no difference whether these are things in heaven or in earth, whether they are things visible or invisible or whether they are thrones, dominions, principalities or powers. They were all created by him and for him. He is before all things, and by him all things consist. This is power. James 2: 19 states: “Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble.” The devils will tremble when you approach them with the authority that you know that there is only one God, the Lord Jesus Christ.

Hebrews 13: 8 states: “Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and today, and forever.” He is the Almighty. He does not change. He dwells in eternity. Psalm 90: 1-2 states: “LORD, thou hast been our dwelling place in all generations. Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever thou hadst formed the earth and the world, even from everlasting to everlasting, thou art God.” Before any mountain was formed on this earth; in fact, before this earth itself was formed; from everlasting to everlasting; it says “thou art God”. King David is referring to someone. He says: “thou” art God. We know who this person is – the Lord Jesus.

Jesus describes himself in Revelation 1: 8, 17-18. Verse 8 states: “I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty.” Verses 17-18 state: “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.” In these verses, he reminds us that it is him “that liveth, and was dead”. He is the first and the last; the Alpha and Omega; which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty. The angels and the rest of us shall worship the Lord Jesus as the Almighty in heaven.

Revelation 4: 8-11 states:“And the four beasts had each of them six wings about him; and they were full of eyes within: and they rest not day and night, saying, Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, which was, and is, and is to come. And when those beasts give glory and honour and thanks to him that sat on the throne, who liveth forever and ever, The four and twenty elders fall down before him that sat on the throne, and worship him that liveth forever and ever, and cast their crowns before the throne, saying, Thou art worth, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created.”

Revelation 5: 11-14 states: “And I beheld, and I heard the voice of many angels round about the throne and the beasts and the elders: and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands; Saying with a loud voice, Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory, and blessing. And every creature which is in heaven, and on the earth, and under the earth, and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, heard I saying, Blessing, and honour, and glory, and power, be unto him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb forever and ever. And the four beasts said, Amen. And the four and twenty elders fell down and worshiped him that liveth forever and ever.”

Our Lord Jesus, the Lamb, is worthy to receive all power, all adoration, all majesty and all dominion forever and forever. Amen. Revelation 21: 6-7 states: “And he said unto me, It is done. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely. He that over cometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son.”

You believe in the Lord Jesus, you will receive the fountain of life freely. For eternity, you will live with him. Let us read about the birth of Jesus in Matthew 1: 18-25: “Now the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise: When as his mother Mary was espoused to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Ghost. Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not willing to make her a public example, was minded to put her away privily. But while he thought on these things, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost. And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins. Now all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, BEHOLD, A VIRGIN SHALL BE WITH CHILD, AND SHALL BRING FORTH A SON, AND THEY SHALL CALL HIS NAME EMMANUEL, which being interpreted is, God with us. Then Joseph being raised from sleep did as the angel of the Lord had bidden him, and took unto him his wife: And knew her not till she had brought forth her firstborn son: and he called his name JESUS.”

In these verses, we read that the Holy Ghost came upon Mary and that she would bring forth a son who would be called Jesus, Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us. This is the fulfillment of Isaiah 9: 6 that a child would be born, a son would be given, whose name shall be called “Wonderful”, “Counselor”, “The mighty God”, “The everlasting Father”, “The Prince of Peace.”In John Chapter 8, we read about a conversation Jesus had with the Jews regarding who he truly is. John 8: 56-59 states: “Your father Abraham rejoiced to see my day: and he saw it, and was glad. Then said the Jews unto him, Thou art not yet fifty years old, and hast thou seen Abraham? Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I am. Then took they up stones to cast at him: but Jesus hid himself, and went out of the temple, going through the midst of them, and so passed by.”

Jesus was telling the Jews that Abraham, who had died hundreds of years earlier, was glad to see him. He was the same person that Abraham saw – the mighty God in human form. They understood what he said, because they told him: “Thou art not yet fifty years old, and hast thou seen Abraham?” He then told them, before Abraham existed, he has been around – the “I am” – the eternal God.

Let us read Hebrews 7: 1-10: “For this Melchisedec, king of Salem, priest of the most high God, who met Abraham returning from the slaughter of the kings, and blessed him; To whom also Abraham gave a tenth part of all; first being by interpretation King of righteousness, and after that also King of Salem, which is, King of peace; Without father, without mother, without descent, having neither beginning of days, nor end of life; but made like unto the Son of God; abideth a priest continually. Now consider how great this man was, unto whom even the patriarch Abraham gave the tenth of the spoils. And verily they that are of the sons of Levi, who receive the office of the priesthood, have a commandment to take tithes of the people according to the law, that is, of their brethren, though they come out of the loins of Abraham: But he whose descent is not counted from them received tithes of Abraham, and blessed him that had the promises. And without all contradiction the less is blessed of the better. And here men that die receive tithes; but there he receiveth them, of whom it is witnessed that he liveth. And as I may so say, Levi also, who receiveth tithes, payed tithes in Abraham. For he was yet in the loins of his father, when Melchisedec met him.”

This Melchisedec, who met Abraham, was without father, without mother, without descent, having neither the beginning of days, nor the end of life, but made like unto the Son of God. This person would have to be someone who is eternal for him to have neither beginning nor ending of life. Abraham met the same person that came later as the Lord Jesus Christ. John 1: 10-13 states: “He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not. He came unto his own, and his own received him not. But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.”

This scripture tells us Jesus was in the world, the world was made by him and the world knew him not. He came to his own, and his own received him not. However, to as many as will receive him, he gives them the power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name. You believe in the Lord Jesus Christ as your saviour and your God, you will dwell with him in eternity. John 1: 3 states: “All things were made by him; and without him was not anything made that was made.”

When you begin to appreciate that God who created us took upon himself to personally come and die for our sins, it will make you to love the Lord thy God even more. We read in Mark 12: 28-34: “And one of the scribes came, and having heard them reasoning together, and perceiving that he had answered them well, asked him, Which is the first commandment of all? And Jesus answered him, The first of all the commandments is, HEAR, O ISRAEL; THE LORD OUR GOD IS ONE LORD: AND THOU SHALT LOVE THE LORD THY GOD WITH ALL THY HEART, AND WITH ALL THY SOUL, AND WITH ALL THY MIND, AND WITH ALL THY STRENGTH: this is the first commandment. And the second is like, namely this, THOU SHALT LOVE THY NEIGHBOUR AS THYSELF. There is none other commandment greater than these. And the scribe said unto him, Well, Master, thou hast said the truth: for there is one God; and there is none other but he: And to love him with all the heart, and with all the understanding, and with all the soul, and with all the strength, and to love his neighbour as himself, is more than all whole burnt offerings and sacrifices. And when Jesus saw that he answered discreetly, he said unto him, Thou are not far from the kingdom of God. And no man after that durst ask him any question.”

We are complete in the Lord Jesus. Colossians 2: 9-10 states: “For in him dwelleth all the fullness of the Godhead bodily. And ye are complete in him, which is the head of all principality and power:”When Jesus was transfigured, he was showing the three disciples his pre-existent state. Matthew 17: 1-3 states: “And after six days Jesus taketh Peter, James, and John his brother, and bringeth them up into an high mountain apart, And was transfigured before them: and his face did shine as the sun, and his raiment was white as the light. And, behold, there appeared unto them Moses and Elias talking with him.”

John 21: 25 states: “And there are also many other things which Jesus did, the which, if they should be written every one, I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the books that should be written. Amen.”We read in Isaiah 53: 4-5: “Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.” We want to thank our Lord Jesus for bearing our griefs and sorrows, for being wounded for our transgressions, for being bruised for our iniquities, for providing peace to our souls and for making it possible that by his stripes we are healed. How kind our God is for becoming a human being to take all the punishment in order to save us from our sins. The Lord Jesus is coming back soon. He has his reward with him. Revelation 22: 12-13 reads, “And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last.”

J.O. Thomas

www.gospelwordministry.com