Jesus Christ : Yesterday and Today

Jesus Christ, who lived on this earth two thousand years ago, is the historical person who influenced world history and human life the most. Many opinions and teachings about Jesus Christ have come about in the world. However, the Bible reminds us that only God the Father knows who the Son really is and God the Father must reveal His Son to a person if he is to truly know Jesus Christ (Mt. 16:15-17). Only those who are drawn by the Father can come to Jesus Christ, the Son (Luke. 10:21, Jn. 6:44). The Word of God reminds us that true knowledge of Jesus Christ is necessary to gain Eternal Life and so only those who are destined for it can reach the full knowledge of Jesus Christ (Jn. 17:3).

All that is written about Jesus Christ in this article is on the basis of the Word of God written in the 73 books of the Holy Bible. This article is not based on worldly knowledge or any human philosophy or thought. Instead, it is solely based on the knowledge that comes from faith and Divine Wisdom.

God gave prophecies about His Son Jesus Christ through all His Prophets starting from Moses the first Prophet who lived on this earth 3500 years ago until John the Baptist. But only about 15% of these prophecies were fulfilled in Jesus Christ, when he first came 2000 years ago. However, Jesus Christ declared that all the prophecies written about him in the Law of Moses, the Writings of the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled (Luke. 24:44).

If one looks backwards, he will see Jesus Christ who died on the Cross, resurrected and ascended into Heaven and thus fulfilled only 15% of those prophecies. Holding fast to the prophecies that have already been fulfilled, this article looks forward to see Jesus Christ who comes to fulfill the remaining 85% of the prophecies. With the Glorious Manifestation of Jesus Christ 100% of all prophecies will be fulfilled in him.

In this article, the Names Jesus Christ and Emmanuel are used. These names do not denote two different persons. On the other hand, they denote one and the same person, the only begotten Son of God. Jesus Christ is the name that the Son of God was called in his First Coming, whereas Emmanuel is the Name given to him by His Father for all eternity.

Who is Jesus Christ?

Who was Jesus Christ before he came to live on this earth as a human person 2000 years ago? Well, the Bible gives the answer. Jesus Christ is the Son of God, the Firstborn of the One True God; He is the exact imprint of God’s very being; All things were created in Jesus Christ and through Jesus Christ and for Jesus Christ (Heb. 1:2-3, Col. 1:15-16). The Bible testifies that the Son of God is the Light that darkness cannot overcome and the one who sustains all creation (Jn. 1:1-5, 2 Pet. 3:1-7). Jesus Christ who became Man is the only Mediator between God and the human beings (1 Tim. 2:15).

Why did Jesus Christ come to this earth 2000 years ago?

The Word of God testifies that God created His Children as immortal, imperishable, powerful and glorious as God Himself and gave them dominion over all creation (Gen. 1:26-28, Wis. 2:23, Wis. 1:13-14, Sir. 17:3-4). But the First Parents who were created with the true Word of God received the lie (anything contrary to the Word of God is a lie) from Satan and committed sin and became slaves of disease, old age and death (Gen. 2:1-19). All the children of God who were to be born on this earth as human beings were deposited in Adam (Acts 17:26) and thus when Adam committed sin, all human beings who were to come forth from him participated in that sin (Heb. 7:9-10). Thus the Holy Scriptures declare that all are sinners (Gal. 3:22, 1 Jn. 1:8). Therefore, death which is the wage of sin exists in everyone even today (Rom. 5:12). In this way all human beings and all creation became subject to decay (Rom. 8:19-20).

It is the righteousness of God to atone for the sins of His children in order to redeem them from this decay.  But the blood of all the children of God who came forth from Adam became defiled because of sin and is subject to decay. It is the law given by God that the sacrificial object must be without any blemish. The body and blood of the human race which became subject to sin and decay cannot atone for their sins (Rom. 5:12). So God, who was filled with love for His Children, decided to send His Son to atone for the sins of the Children of God.

God the Father placed the sin of all his Children on His Firstborn, Jesus Christ who had no sin in him. Out of his profound love for his brethren, Jesus Christ took upon his own body the punishment of all that sin and joyfully offered his body and blood as a sacrifice of atonement, and cleansed the children of God from all their sins (Is. 53:4-12, Rom. 8:3, 1 Jn. 1:7, Mt. 1:20-21). Thus the purpose of the First Coming of Jesus Christ to this earth 2000 years ago was to give this salvation of the forgiveness of sins to all the children of God.

How was Jesus Christ born on this earth 2000 years ago?

The Son of God, Jesus Christ did not regard equality with God as something to be exploited, but emptied himself and taking the form of a slave, was born in human likeness on this earth (Phil. 2:5-8). The Son of God, who lived with God as the Spirit of the Word was carried to this earth by the Holy Spirit 2000 years ago (Jn. 1:1-5, Jn. 6:63). The Holy Virgin Mary received this Spirit which is the Word of God and through Her faith, this Word became flesh in Her womb. This means that the body and blood which were required for the atonement of the sins of the Children of God were formed in the womb of Holy Virgin Mary because of her faith (Rom. 3:21-26). It is about this birth that the Word of God testifies that the Word became Flesh and dwelt among us (Jn. 1:14). All human beings are born of blood or of the will of the flesh or of the will of man. But the Bible testifies that there are some who were born fully as persons, not in this manner, but from God. From this it is clear that Jesus Christ came to this earth 2000 years ago through such a birth from God (Jn. 1:13).

Will Jesus Christ come back to this earth?

For those who believe the Word of God written in the Holy Bible, the Second Coming of Jesus Christ in flesh to this earth is a doctrine of faith. Of course, there are differences among believers regarding how and when and where Jesus Christ would come. Jesus Christ categorically stated that he would come again to this earth in the End Times to take along with him to Heaven those who belong to him (Jn. 14:1-3). God the Father sent two angels to this earth and confirmed this promise of His Son (Acts 1:11).

So where should Jesus Christ come back? He should come back on this earth. How will he come back? He will come back in flesh (Gal. 4:4, 1 Jn. 4:2, Luke 18:8). But the Second Coming of Jesus Christ to this earth and the works he will do at that time are Divine mysteries that will be revealed only in the End Times. During the last century the Holy Virgin Mary appeared in physical form in more than 300 places in the world and exhorted the people of God to prepare themselves for the Second Coming of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.

What are the arrangements Jesus Christ put in place until He Came Back?

Jesus Christ gave three duties to his apostles to fulfill until he came back. Jesus Christ commanded them to go and make all people HIS disciples and to baptize them in the Name of the Father, Son and the Holy Spirit. Besides, he ordered the apostles to teach his disciples to obey only what he had taught them (Mt. 28:18-20). Those who become his disciples in this way are his sheep and Jesus Christ commissioned Simeon Peter to feed and take care of his sheep (Jn. 21:15-17).

The duty of the Apostles and their successors is to prepare a Flock who are the disciples of Jesus Christ and are waiting for him, and present them when Jesus Christ comes again. Moreover, a final battle with Satan is to take place and these shepherds must guard the Sheep of Jesus Christ, so that Satan does not penetrate into their Fold and harm them (Ezek. 13:5). They must do this duty until Jesus Christ, the Head of the shepherds (who is also the Owner of the sheep) comes back (1 Pet. 5:1-4).

Why did Jesus Christ give such a command? The Will of God is that the people of God must be built as a House of God - Church - on the foundation of the Apostles and Prophets. The Son of God, Emmanuel is the Cornerstone of this House of God (Eph. 2:20-22). It is only in the End Times that God will lay Emmanuel (Jesus Christ, who comes again to this world) as the Cornerstone of His Church. This prophecy that God declared through Prophet Isaiah and David millennia ago is also reiterated through Peter the apostle (Is. 28:16, Ps. 118:22-23, 1 Pet. 2:4-8).

The Redemptive Plan that God entrusted to Jesus Christ comes to its completion only when he presents this Flock - Church – to God the Father who is coming to visit His Children. Yes, God the Father is coming to visit His children! But this Flock must become holy, blameless, and irreproachable and must be made imperishable and immortal (Col. 1:22, Phil 3:20-21) before they are presented. The Word of God testifies that Jesus Christ will annihilate all rule, authority and power and then present this Flock to God. Then the End will come (1 Cor. 15:24).

The Glorious Manifestation of Jesus Christ

Behold, Jesus Christ has come again in flesh on this earth now! Today, he is called by the Name Emmanuel, the only Name of the Son of God that God revealed to Prophet Isaiah more than 2700 years ago. The Second Coming of Jesus Christ and his Glorious Manifestation are not one and the same event, but two distinct events. Even though both these events take place in the End Times, there is a time gap between these two events. The Second Coming of Jesus Christ is his Coming in flesh from Heaven to this earth in the End Times. But the Glorious Manifestation of Emmanuel is the revelation of the Son of God in all glory after living on this earth for a period of time.

We are now living in the time period between the Second Coming and Glorious Manifestation of the Son of God, Emmanuel.

Jesus Christ will manifest in glory to give reward to each one according to his actions (Rev. 22:12-13, Mt. 16:27). He has promised that he will give Eternal Life to those who receive him as their Saviour, Lord and King, believe in his Name and wait for him (Heb. 9:28, Phil. 3:20-21, Jn. 1:12, Jn. 3:16). The Bible teaches us that we should wait for him with eagerness, love, patience, holiness, prayer and equanimity and without any idols in the heart.

However, Emmanuel is coming to punish the sinners as well (Is. 13:9). But many people think in this way: ‘Let Jesus Christ reveal himself first and then we shall think what we can do’. But the Bible testifies that when Emmanuel reveals himself as the Righteous Judge people will not get an opportunity to repent and mend their ways (Rev. 9:20-21). On the other hand, when the inhabitants of the earth see the Son of Man coming on the clouds with power and great glory, they will faint from fear and foreboding of what is coming up on the world and will mourn (Luke. 21:25-26, Mt. 24:30). So Jesus Christ exhorted his people to be vigilant always by being in prayer and preparation in order to escape from all the punishments that will fall on the earth at the End of Age and become worthy to appear before the Eternal Judge, Emmanuel (Luke. 21:34-36).

This is the Time to repent and return to God the Father and to prepare oneself to appear before the Son of God.

The Fullness of Salvation that Jesus Christ is Going to Give!

God created human beings as immortal, imperishable, glorious, Powerful and eternally youthful as God Himself (Gen. 1:26-27, Sir. 17:3-4, Wis. 2:23-24). But they became slaves of death and decay by committing sin. Even today, human beings are subject to disease, old age and death. Decay exists in all human beings and in all creation. They receive salvation only when the slavery that came about because of sin is annihilated and all that they lost in the Garden of Eden are restored in them. This redemption of the body is the eternal life or true salvation promised by God. This is the adoption as Children of God that the people of God are waiting for with inward groaning (Rom. 8:18-24).

The fullness of Salvation that is promised in the Holy Bible is not the so called state when the body returns to soil and the soul is supposedly liberated from the body after death. A complete human person consists of body, mind and soul. So the fullness of salvation is the redemption of all these three aspects of a human person. Jesus Christ will give this fullness of Salvation to the Children of God through the bodily resurrection of the dead and the transfiguration of the living. (Rom. 8:18-24, Phil. 3:20-21).

The Word of God teaches that Jesus Christ is the only Savior who gives this Salvation. Jesus Christ did not give this fullness of Salvation when he came to this earth 2000 years ago. In his First Coming, he came to offer his life on the Cross to atone for the sins of the Children of God and thus to reconcile them with God. This means Jesus Christ gave only the Salvation of the forgiveness of sins (the First fruit of salvation) to those who believed in him for the last 2000 years.

The Son of God gives the fullness of salvation only when he comes on this earth again in flesh. The Bible testifies that this Salvation will be revealed only in the End Times (1 Pet. 1:5). It is written in the Bible that through this Salvation the Son of God Jesus Christ will annihilate death for ever and the Children of God will become immortal and imperishable on this earth itself (1 Cor. 15:48-55).

"Just as we have borne the image of the man of dust, we will also bear the image of the man of Heaven. What I am saying, brothers and sisters, is this: flesh and blood cannot inherit the Kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable. Listen, I will tell you a mystery! We will not all die, but we will all be transfigured, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be transfigured. For this perishable body must put on imperishability, and this mortal body must put on immortality. When this perishable body puts on imperishability, and this mortal body puts on immortality, then the saying that is written will be fulfilled: "Death has been swallowed up in victory." "Where, O death is your victory? Where, O death is your sting?"  (1Cor. 15:49-55)

Emmanuel the Son of God has come again now to give this Salvation!

During the time of creation, God gave form to man from soil (Gen. 2:7). When the Divine Life was instilled into soil, it was transfigured into living flesh and blood. When man lost this life because of sin, flesh once again became soil (Gen. 3:19). But when the Divine Life is instilled into flesh again, the body will be filled with eternal life. Then the flesh which is soil will be transfigured into imperishable body. The Son of God, Emmanuel has come with this Eternal Life now (1 Jn. 5:10-12, Phil. 3:20-21)