The question "Who was Jesus?" has echoed through the centuries, dividing scholars, philosophers, and ordinary people alike. While many acknowledge Jesus as a significant historical figure, Scripture reveals Him to be infinitely more than a mere teacher, prophet, or moral example. Jesus Christ stands as the eternal Son of God, the covenant Mediator, and the fulfillment of all God's redemptive promises throughout history.

The Eternal Son of God

 

Jesus Christ is not merely a man who became divine or a divine being who appeared human. He is the eternal Son of God, the second person of the Trinity, who "being the eternal Son of God, became man, and so was, and continueth to be, God and man in two distinct natures, and one person, for ever" (1689 Confession 8.2).

 

As John Calvin explained, Christ possesses two complete natures—fully God and fully man—united in one person without confusion, change, division, or separation. This mystery of the incarnation means that the baby born in Bethlehem was the same Word who "was with God, and was God" from all eternity (John 1:1).  One way we can think of it is that He is as truly God as if He were not man, and as truly man as if He were not God.

 

This divine nature wasn't an addition to His humanity, nor was His humanity a mask for His divinity. Both natures exist perfectly and permanently in the one person of Christ. As the Westminster divines put it, He is "very God and very man, yet one Christ."

 

The Promised Covenant Mediator

From the biblical perspective, Jesus stands as the central figure toward whom all of redemptive history points. He is the fulfillment of the covenant of redemption, that eternal agreement between the Father and Son whereby the Father promised to give the Son a people, and the Son agreed to redeem them through His perfect obedience and atoning death.

 

Throughout the Old Testament, God progressively revealed this coming Mediator:

• To Adam and Eve, He was the promised "seed of the woman" who would crush the serpent's head (Genesis 3:15)

• To Abraham, He was the "offspring" through whom all nations would be blessed (Galatians 3:16)

• To Moses, He was the Prophet like Moses whom God would raise up (Deuteronomy 18:15)

• To David, He was the eternal King who would sit on David's throne forever (2 Samuel 7:12-13)

 

Thomas Watson observed the Old Testament covenants didn't establish the covenant of grace but promised it. Jesus came not merely to supplement these arrangements but to fulfill them completely, establishing the new covenant through His blood (Luke 22:20).

 

The Last Adam

Where the first Adam failed under the covenant of works in the Garden of Eden, Jesus succeeded as the "last Adam" (1 Corinthians 15:45). Adam was tested and found wanting; Christ was tested in every way and remained perfectly obedient.

 

Christ fulfilled both aspects of the covenant of works: He rendered the perfect obedience Adam failed to give (active obedience), and He bore the penalty Adam's disobedience deserved (passive obedience). As our federal head, Christ's obedience is counted as ours, and our sins were counted as His when He hung on the cross.

 

This means Jesus wasn't simply a good example to follow or a wise teacher to emulate. He was our substitute and representative, accomplishing what we could never accomplish and suffering what we deserved to suffer. The 1689 Confession declares, He "fully satisfied the justice of God, made reconciliation, and purchased an everlasting inheritance in the kingdom of heaven, for all those whom the Father hath given unto Him" (8.5).

 

The Substance of All Types and Shadows

The entire Old Testament sacrificial system, priesthood, and ceremonial law found their fulfillment in Christ. He is the reality to which all the types and shadows pointed:

• Every sacrificial lamb pointed to Him as "the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world" (John 1:29)

• The Day of Atonement ritual found its fulfillment when He entered the heavenly Holy of Holies with His own blood (Hebrews 9:11-12)

• The bronze serpent Moses lifted up in the wilderness typified Christ being "lifted up" on the cross for our healing (John 3:14-15)

• The manna in the wilderness pointed to Christ as the true "bread of life" (John 6:48-51)

 

The entire Old Testament was "but the shadow of good things to come," and Christ is "the body" that cast those shadows (Colossians 2:17). Without Christ, the Old Testament ceremonies would be meaningless rituals. With Christ, they become profound prophecies of His redeeming work.

 

The Conqueror of Satan, Sin, and Death

Jesus came not merely to teach or inspire but to destroy the works of the devil (1 John 3:8). At the cross, He "disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them" (Colossians 2:15).

The cross is God's masterpiece, where "justice and mercy met." There, the greatest evil in history (the crucifixion of the sinless Son of God) became the means of the greatest good: the salvation of God's people. God turns evil into good most supremely at Calvary.

 

Through His death and resurrection, Jesus conquered the three great enemies of humanity:

1. Satan: The serpent's head was crushed when Christ triumphed over the prince of darkness

2. Sin: The penalty was paid and sin's dominion was broken for all who believe

3. Death: The grave could not hold Him, and His resurrection guarantees ours

 

The Mediator of the New Covenant

Jesus didn't merely improve upon previous covenants—He established something entirely new. The new covenant He mediated through His blood is "not like" the old covenant (Hebrews 8:9) because it's built on better promises and cannot be broken by those truly in it.

 

Unlike the old covenant, which included both believers and unbelievers and could be broken through disobedience, the new covenant includes only those who truly know the Lord, have their sins forgiven, and have God's law written on their hearts (Jeremiah 31:31-34). Jesus guarantees this covenant's permanence because He perfectly fulfilled its conditions and applies its benefits through the Holy Spirit.

 

The Coming King

Jesus' work is not finished. He now sits at the right hand of the Father as King of kings, ruling over all things for the sake of His church (Ephesians 1:20-23). One day He will return in glory to judge the living and the dead, to resurrect the bodies of His people, and to establish the new heavens and new earth where righteousness dwells.

 

God declares that every knee will bow and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord (Philippians 2:10-11). He who came in humility as a servant will return in majesty as the conquering King.

 

More Than History

While Jesus certainly existed as a historical figure (a fact supported by overwhelming evidence) He is infinitely more than a character from ancient history. He is the eternal Son of God who entered time and space to accomplish our redemption. He is the fulfillment of every promise, the substance of every shadow, the answer to every longing of the human heart.

 

The question is not merely whether Jesus existed, but who He is and what He accomplished. As Peter declared, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God" (Matthew 16:16). This confession changes everything, for if Jesus is who He claimed to be, then we must respond to Him not as an interesting historical figure but as Lord and Savior. In Christ, we find not just a teacher but the Truth, not just a guide but the Way, not just an example but the Life itself (John 14:6).

 

The Jesus of Scripture demands a response. He cannot be relegated to the dusty pages of history books or the safe discussions of academic seminars. He is the living Christ who confronts every person with the ultimate question: "Who do you say that I am?" (Matthew 16:15).

 

For those who confess Him as Lord and trust in His finished work, He is Savior, King, and eternal joy. For those who reject Him, He remains the Judge before whom they will one day stand. But He is never merely a historical figure. He is the Christ, the Son of the living God, and in Him all the fullness of the Godhead dwells bodily (Colossians 2:9).