Jesus Christ: God, King, and Savior

“Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.” All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: “The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel”– which means, “God with us.”

Matthew 1:20-23

Who is Jesus of Nazareth? To many people, Jesus was like any other man-one who was the son of a biological father, Joseph; one who was a religious guru or a revolutionary, but still a man; one who lived and died two thousand years ago. But it is about this Jesus that the angel of God made a startling declaration to the poor shepherds of Bethlehem. His words tell us that Jesus of Nazareth was much more than just a man. The angel said, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord” (Luke 2:10-11). He was speaking about the birth of Jesus Christ to the virgin Mary in Bethlehem.

To unbelieving theologians, the virgin birth is the product of the fertile imagination of the evangelists. But the truth is that it is the greatest event that took place in history. In fulfillment of the word spoken by the Lord through the prophet Isaiah more than seven hundred years earlier, Jesus Christ was born of Mary in Bethlehem. Through the virgin birth, God became man and dwelt among us.

Jesus Is God

Who is this thumb-sucking baby the Bible says was clothed in swaddling clothes and placed in a manger in Bethlehem? First, he is the true and living God. In Christ, two natures “were joined together in one person, without conversion, composition, or confusion” (WCF, chapter 8, section 2).

The great systematic theology professor John Murray says,

“He who never began to be in his specific identity as Son of God, began to be what he eternally was not. . . . [In Jesus] there was a conjunction in one person of all that belongs to Godhead and all that belongs to manhood.”

Jesus Christ is God/man. Professor Murray summarizes:

“The infinite became the finite, the eternal . . . entered time and became subject to its conditions, the immutable became the mutable, the invisible became the visible, the Creator became the created, the sustainer of all became dependent, the Almighty infirm . . .God became man. (Collected Writings of John Murray: Volume Two, Systematic Theology [Edinburgh: Banner of Truth Trust, 1977] 132-133).

Jesus is God and Lord over all the people in the world, whether Mohammedans, Jews, Hindus, Christians or others. He became man to die so that by his death he might destroy the works of the devil and take away all our sins. This Jesus alone will also be the Judge of all people at the end of time.

In the humanity of Jesus Christ, the Almighty became dependent just as any newborn baby is dependent on others. But we must not be mistaken about this infant who lay in a manger in Bethlehem long ago. Though he became dependent, he is also the Creator and Sustainer of all, the one who sustains all things by his powerful word, as we read in Hebrews 1:3. Jesus Christ was sustaining the universe even as he was lying as a baby in that manger in Bethlehem. In Colossians 1:16-17 we read this in reference to Jesus Christ: “For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him. He is before all things, and in him all things hold together.” All things were created by Christ and for him, and in him all things cohere; without Jesus Christ all things disintegrate. We are here today as human beings because of his holding us together.

In Colossians 2:9, we read that in this baby, Jesus Christ, “all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form.” In Matthew 1:23 we are told that he is Immanuel- the “with-us God.” The phrase “with-us” stands for Christ’s human nature. This virgin-conceived baby is none other than God who came to live among us in a human body.

Old Testament References to the Deity of Christ

The entire Old Testament speaks about Jesus Christ. For example, long before Christ was born, Isaiah spoke about his virgin birth in Isaiah 7:14, saying, “The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel.” Then in Isaiah 9:6-7, also in reference to Christ, Isaiah declared, “For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and peace there will be no end.” We find reference to Christ also in Isaiah 11:1-2, where we read,

A shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse; from his roots a Branch will bear fruit. The Spirit of the Lord will rest on him-the Spirit of wisdom and of understanding, the Spirit of counsel and of power, the Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord-and he will delight in the fear of the Lord.

In Psalm 130:7-8 the psalmist refers to the work of Christ as Savior as he prays, “O Israel, put your hope in the Lord, for with the Lord is unfailing love and with him is full redemption. He himself will redeem Israel from all their sins.” In Isaiah 43:11 God tells us, “I, even I, am the Lord, and apart from me there is no savior.” Thus, we understand from the Old Testament that God will redeem us from all our sins and that God alone is the Savior; apart from him there is no salvation.

New Testament References to the Deity of Christ

As we come to the New Testament, Matthew 1:21 tells us that this salvation activity will be attributed to one person, Jesus of Nazareth, the baby to be born in Bethlehem to Mary and Joseph. So we read the instructions of the angel to Joseph, “You shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.” This tells us that Jesus the Savior is the God of the Old Testament. If Jesus were not God, he could save no one; but Jesus Christ is God.

In Luke 1:32 the angel Gabriel told Mary that the child she would bear as a virgin would be called Son of the Most High, meaning he is God, the eternal Son. In Luke 2:11 the angel identified this infant as Christ the Lord, using the word kurios, which is the Greek word used for Yahweh in the Septuagint. By using kurios, the writers of the gospel were saying this infant, Jesus, was God himself. In the same way, the angel described the child to be born in Bethlehem in the highest possible terms, saying he is Savior, Christ, and Lord.

In Luke 1:43 Elizabeth made a profound statement about Mary’s child: “But why am I so favored, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?” Elizabeth acknowledged that Mary was the mother of God.

I hope those who still treat Jesus Christ as a mere man will understand who this baby is and put your trust in him. This baby whose birth we celebrate at Christmas is God himself. When we read in the gospels that Jesus claimed to have authority on earth to forgive sins, some people raised the question, “Who is Jesus to forgive sins? Only God can do that.” But as we read in Mark 2, Jesus does have authority to forgive sins because he is God.

Jesus Christ Is King

Not only is Jesus God but he is also King. This infant without a home was legally the son of Joseph, the son of David, as his genealogy tells us. In Mary’s womb he was begotten of the Holy Spirit, not of Joseph. Thus we understand this truth that the Holy Spirit begat, Mary conceived, and Joseph adopted. But in obedience to God, Joseph named the child Jesus, thus becoming his legal father. So Joseph and Jesus were not biological father and son, but legal father and son, and, therefore, the throne of David belonged legally to Jesus.

In Luke 1:32-33 the angel Gabriel spoke to Mary in Nazareth, saying, “He will be great and will be called Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever; his kingdom will never end.” This is the fulfillment of the promise that God made to David in 2 Samuel 7:13, 16, and 29. Jesus Christ is David’s last son. There are no more kings coming after him, because this Son will never die. His kingdom is for ever and ever.

In Matthew 2:2 we see the Magi inquiring, “Where is the one born king of the Jews?” In Micah 5:2 we read, “But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come from me one who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins are from of old, from ancient times.” Here Jesus Christ, the one whose origins are from eternity, the baby who was born of a virgin in Bethlehem, is presented as the ruler of Israel. In Isaiah 9:6-7 we read, “The government shall be upon his shoulders” and “of the increase of his government and peace there will be no end.” No matter what we think, Jesus Christ is God and King.

In Isaiah 11 the rule of Jesus Christ is clearly articulated. I hope that we will tremble when we read this. PGM The Lord Jesus Christ is not just a little king in a little town somewhere; rather, he is the King of kings and Lord of lords. So in Isaiah 11:4 we read, “But with righteousness he will judge the needy, with justice he will give decisions for the poor of the earth.” This One, who is greater than David and Solomon, will judge with justice. Isaiah continues, “He will strike the earth with the rod of his mouth; with the breath of his lips he will slay the wicked.” The wicked are those who never repent of their sins and put their entire faith in Jesus Christ. At the end of time this Jesus, who is God and King, will do what is spoken here: He will strike the earth with the rod of his mouth and slay the wicked with the breath of his mouth.

We find another reference to the kingship of Jesus Christ in Matthew 21 where we read about the triumphal entry of Jesus Christ into Jerusalem. In verse 4 we read, “This took place to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet: ‘Say to the Daughter of Zion, “See, your King comes to you, gentle and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.”‘”

In Matthew 27:11 we read that Jesus was brought before the governor Pilate, who asked him, “‘Are you the king of the Jews?’ ‘Yes, it is as you say,’ Jesus replied.”” Here we see in Jesus’ own words his claim to be King.

If you are still not convinced of the kingship of Christ, look at his words in Matthew 28:18: “Then Jesus came to them and said, ‘All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.'” All authority! I think that includes authority to deal with us. Jesus was referring to Daniel 7:13-14, where we read,

In my vision at night I looked, and there before me was one like a son of man, coming with the clouds of heaven. He approached the Ancient of Days and was led to his presence. He was given authority, glory, and sovereign power; all peoples. nations and men of every language worshiped him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that will not pass away, and his kingdom is one that will never be destroyed.

The kingdom of God came, then, in the person of this infant Jesus. That is why he tells us, “Seek first his kingdom and his righteousness.” It means we must put God first in our lives. It means we must come under the rule of this God/King, Jesus Christ. It means we must confess with our mouths, ” Jesus is Lord,” and do what he says.

King Jesus is greater than David or Solomon. They were only human beings who represented the great King. David and Solomon represented God as his deputies, but Jesus is the archetype, the ultimate reality. As God and King, he alone is sovereign and can alone say, “All authority in heaven and on earth is given to me.” He alone is King of kings and Lord of lords.

In Isaiah 52:7 we find a prophecy of this Jesus: “How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of those who bring good news.” What is the good news? “Your God reigns!”

Jesus Is Savior

So the little baby whose birth we celebrate at Christmas is our God and King. He has come and is reigning, and when he reigns, everything is all right. Additionally, because he is God and King, he is able to save his people. Not only is Jesus God and King, but he is also Savior.

This God/King Jesus Christ is the Savior of the world. He is the one, we are told, who saves his people from their sins. We already mentioned Psalm 130:7, where we found the promise that God himself would redeem his people from all their sins. Jesus Christ, the baby born in Bethlehem, is God incarnate, our Savior, ready to save. That is why the angel told the shepherds that the Savior had come.

When the angel delivered the Lord’s message to Mary and Joseph about the child Mary would bear, we notice that the name of this infant was not left for the parents to determine arbitrarily. God himself chose the name, which revealed the very function and mission of this child. So we read in Matthew 1:21, “You are to give him the name Jesus,” or Joshua, which means “Jehovah saves” or “God saves.”

The Only Savior

Jesus Christ is the exclusive Savior. In the Greek text of Matthew 1:21 we read that he and he alone will save his people from their sins. So the angel told Joseph, “You shall call him Jesus because it is he that will save,” meaning “he alone who will save his people from their sins.”

No man can save any other man, or even himself, from his sins. It is the God/man, Jesus Christ, alone who can save. As God/man he lived a perfect life and died a vicarious death for our sins. That is why we say that Jesus alone is the Savior and there is none other. People can believe in any religion they want, but there is no other Savior outside of Christ. The deepest need of all men is for a Savior. That Savior is Jesus. He is God who saves and he is man who died for our sins. Salvation is of the Lord, and Jesus Christ alone is the Lord.

The Effectual Savior of His People

Not only is Jesus the God who saves but he is an effectual Savior. He will save his people from their sins. Jesus Christ did not merely make salvation possible; he does save his people without contingency or uncertainty. There is definiteness, a certainty, in his actions.

Jesus Christ will save all those who are his people. In John 3:16 we read, “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes on him shall not perish but have everlasting life.” That is true, but in John 10:27 Jesus also tells us, “My sheep listen to my voice.” Those who are his people will listen to Jesus Christ. And not only that, Jesus adds, “I know them, and they follow me.” So when Jesus Christ calls them, his people will listen, repent, believe, and follow him. If you are not listening to Jesus Christ, believing in him, or following him, it means you are not included in his people and he has no obligation to save you.

In John 10:16 we read that Jesus came to save not only Jews but also Gentiles. So we read, “I have other sheep that are not of this sheep pen. I must bring them also. They too will listen to my voice, and there shall be one flock and one shepherd.” Here we see that those who are not Jewish can rejoice, for Jesus includes Gentiles as well as Jews in his people. So when we read in Matthew 1:21, “He will save his people from their sins,” it means all of Jesus’ people, whether Jew or Gentile.

Who, then, are Jesus’ people? In John 17 we learn that they are those whom God the Father donated to the Son to save. God from all eternity gave a certain number of people to the Son to save, and the Son agreed to save them. As we read in Jesus’ high priestly prayer, “I have revealed you to those whom you gave me out of the world. They were yours; you gave them to me and they have obeyed your word” (John 17:6). We do not believe in the universalist notion that everyone is going to be saved. But out of the world, God gave a certain number of people to his Son to save. Such people hear and follow Jesus Christ and are saved. This is called definitive salvation or particular redemption.

We see this particularism again in John 17:9, where Jesus says, “I pray for them. I am not praying for the world, but for those you have given me, for they are yours.” In verse 24 we read, “Father, I want those you have given me to be with me where I am.” So God does not save all, but he does save some.

In John 6:37-38 we read, “All that the Father gives me will come to me. . . .” “Come to me” there means to put one’s faith in Jesus Christ. So Jesus said, “All that the Father gives me will come to me. . . .” There is a certainty about this statement which shows the effectiveness of this salvation of Jesus Christ. Jesus continues, “and whoever comes to me I will never drive away.” In other words, Jesus is saying, “I will save my people. They come to me and I will save them.”

In John 6:39 we read, “And this is the will of him who sent me, that I shall lose none of all that he has given me, but raise them upon the last day.” How did Jesus save his people? By his death on the cross. We must never divorce the infant Jesus from his life mission. Many people think of Jesus as “sweet Jesus, sweet Jesus” or “little baby Jesus” and sing lullabies about him. But we must never divorce this infant from the totality of his life’s mission and purpose.

Who Is Jesus?

Who, then, is the infant Jesus whose birth we celebrate at Christmas? He is God, King, and Savior who came to save his people by his death on the cross. Jesus himself said, “The Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and give his life as a ransom for many” (Matthew 20:28, Mark 10:45), and we must understand that he saves his people from their sins, not in their sins nor in spite of their sins. We are not speaking about a salvation from physical danger or disease or poverty or a political condition, but a comprehensive salvation. The salvation God gives us through his Son, Jesus Christ, is nothing less than total liberation from the guilt of sin, the pollution of sin, the power of sin, the punishment of sin, and, finally, the presence of sin.

This helpless, homeless, thumb-sucking, baby Jesus lying in a manger does not need us or anything in the universe. But we need him to be our God, our King, and our Savior. We need him who told the paralytic, “Son, your sins are forgiven,” and who told the sinful woman, “Your sins are forgiven. Go in peace.” Jesus Christ alone is our salvation and Savior. He alone is our peace and the Prince of peace. He not only saves us from all our sins, but he saves us to eternal blessing. He alone can give us eternal life, communion of the Holy Spirit, and peace with God. “Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ” (Romans 5:1). The infant born in Bethlehem, Jesus Christ, accomplished all of this.

When Jesus was born, no one of earthly importance or stature came to celebrate his birth. But the heavenly host of angels sang for his birthday, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests” (Luke 2:14). In the same way we also can sing, “Glory to God for his justice! Glory to God for his mercy! Glory to God for the gift of his Son, who accomplished peace on earth!” As we read in Isaiah 9:2, “The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned.”

This God, this Son, this King, this Savior, this Christ will liberate us from the iron chains of sin-not from some abstract, theoretical sins but from real sins. As a result, those who are thieves will become earners and givers; those who are idolaters will become true worshipers of the living God; those who are adulterers will become faithful husbands and wives; those who are liars will become truth-tellers; those who are drunkards will become sober. This is the real freedom Jesus Christ brings to his people.

Zechariah saw this infant Jesus as the rising sun coming to us from heaven “to shine on those living in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet in the path of peace” (Luke 1:78-79). He is the light of the world who makes us also the light of the world in him.

We must never feel sorry for Jesus or think that we can do him any favors. I know many people only show up in the church on Easter and on Christmas, thinking God must appreciate the effort they make to come. I hope such people will realize that instead of them coming on their own efforts, God himself is bringing them because he loves them and wants them to hear the gospel and be saved. It is this same God who made his salvation so simple, saying, “Everyone who comes to me I will save.”

Is Jesus Your God, King, and Savior?

Don’t feel sorry for this infant Jesus. Don’t weep for him, as he told the women on his way to be crucified. Instead, recognize that this infant is the true God, the King of kings and Lord of lords, and the only Savior, and ask yourself if he is your God, your King, and your Savior. You may only have a few Christmases left. Have you repented of your sins and trusted in Jesus Christ alone for your salvation? Have you owned him as God, as King, as Savior? Have you joined the angels in singing, “Glory to God in the highest”?

The shepherds joined in the singing. Later on, Simeon and Anna also joined in the singing. In heaven we find even more people singing, as we read in Revelation 7:9-12,

After this I looked, and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people, and language, standing before the throne and in front of the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands. And they cried out in a loud voice, “Salvation belongs to our God, who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb.” All the angels were standing around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures. They fell down on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, saying, “Amen! Praise and glory and wisdom and thanks and honor and power and strength be to our God forever and ever. Amen.”

May God help us to see this Jesus not as a mere man but as he truly is, the only God, King, and Savior, and believe in him so that we may sing his praises both now and throughout eternity. Amen.