In 1992, a new large mammal was identified for the first time in 50 years—the saola, a long-horned species of wild ox that resembles a deer or antelope. The saola, however, is both rare and shy. So when one was sighted in 2013 in central Vietnam for the first time in fourteen years, conservationists rejoiced. Said one leader: “This is a breathtaking discovery and renews hope for the recovery of the species.”

The beauty and variety found in nature remind us of Christ’s role in creation: “In him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities” (v. 16). As God, the Son created all else that exists, including the material world (the universe) and the spiritual world (angelic beings). How could both the Father and the Son be Creator? As persons of the Trinity, each is equally God. Since Christ is “the image of the invisible God” (v. 15) and God’s “fullness” dwells in Him (v. 19), then He must be God Himself.

In addition, creation’s continued existence depends on Christ. The Bible teaches that “in him all things hold together” (v. 17). We saw this yesterday as well. The Father created everything through the Son, whose “powerful word” sustains everything (Heb. 1:2–3).

In this biblical worldview, creation implies rulership. The phrase “firstborn over all creation” (v. 15) doesn’t indicate Christ is a created being but rather means He holds the first position and is the King over all creation, as when the writer of Hebrews called Him the “heir of all things” (1:2). To the created world, Christ is the reconciler or redeemer of all who respond in faith (v. 20). He accomplished this through His sacrificial atonement on the cross— the hope of the gospel (vv. 21–23)!

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In his worship song “Knowing You, Jesus,” Graham Kendrick proclaims: “Oh, to know the power of your risen life / And to know you in your sufferings / To become like you in your death, my Lord / So with you to live and never die.”

When we know Jesus, we know God the Father as well, for the Son is the Father’s final, complete, and perfect revelation of Himself (John 14:7–10). In this first chapter of the book of Hebrews, we are told that “in the past God spoke” through prophets (v. 1), “but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son” (v. 2).

The Son is called the “heir of all things”—King of the kingdom of God—and the universe was made through Him (v. 2). Only God Himself matches this description. According to verse 3, the Son is the “radiance of God’s glory.” This is a relationship of identity. Just as light and its source cannot be separated, only God can shine forth God’s glory. That means the Son must be God as well.

Here we read that Jesus is “the exact representation of his being” (v. 3). Again, this indicates identity. While the Son and the Father are not the same Person, they are both God. Furthermore, the Son sustains “all things by his powerful word” (v. 3). Only God can do that, so once again, the Son is God. If He is who God is and He does what God does, then He must be God Himself!

In God’s plan of redemption, the Son “provided purification for sins,” then “sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven” (v. 3). No man could have done either of those, nor could any angel (v. 4). Only the Lord Himself qualifies. Therefore, Jesus is God!

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Do you know who Jesus is? A recent survey revealed poor understanding of key doctrines, including those about Jesus and salvation, even among evangelical Christians. For example, 52 percent of evangelicals believe people are basically good. An astonishing 78 percent think Jesus is a created being (a heresy known as Arianism). And more than half of evangelical Christians, as well as two-thirds of Americans in general, agree that “God accepts the worship of all religions.”

This is one reason we’re devoting the entire month to a study of Christology (the theology of the person, nature, and role of Jesus Christ). We’ll look at important Scripture passages that help us understand more fully who Jesus is. And we will examine the names of Christ. By asking “Who is this Jesus?” we hope you will come to know Him better and rejoice even more during this Christmas season.

First, we will focus on Christ’s divinity. Jesus told the apostle John in the awe-inspiring vision that opens the book of Revelation: “I am the First and the Last” (v. 17). He said it again at the end of the book: “I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End” (22:13). This figure of speech, repeated three times for emphasis is called a “merism,” and it conveys the idea that Christ is the beginning, the end, and everything in between.

He’s the center and in Him we find the meaning of history, redemption, and everything else. Nothing exists apart from Him (Col. 1:15–17). This expression also indicates that He is incomparably above all other gods (Isa. 44:6–8), and He is the Creator of all (Isa. 48:12–13). Only an eternal God could make such a claim!

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Every year different organizations host a Pi competition. In this competition, contestants recite as many digits of the number Pi as they can from memory. The top record holder is Suresh Kumar Sharma who recited 70,030 digits over the course of seventeen hours. The interesting thing about this challenge is that no one will ever master it. The number of digits in Pi is infinite. Yet, that does not keep people from trying!

In some ways this has a parallel with Psalm 145. Near the beginning of this praise psalm, David admits that God’s greatness is such that “no one can fathom” it (v. 3). It is not possible to fully articulate God’s attributes or to describe His nature. Yet, that does not keep David from praise. This psalm praises God from A to Z!

David reminds Israel that praise continues from one generation to the next: “One generation commends your works to another” (v. 4). The next few verses put this into action. The new generation praises God, and David responds, “They speak of the glorious splendor of your majesty— and I will meditate on your wonderful works” (v. 5). One of the joys of worshiping in church is when the elderly and youth, believers of every generation, join in praising God side by side.

David rehearses many of God’s attributes: “The LORD is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and rich in love” (v. 8). He does not tire of recounting what God has done. God is the same yesterday, today, and forever (Heb. 13:8). He is the true King and sovereign over all creation (vv. 1, 13).

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The worship of idols was an important part of life for Israel’s neighbors. Skilled craftsmen created idols from the finest materials available. Priests would perform elaborate ceremonies to endow the idol with the presence of the god. The idol would then be treated as royalty. The object would be clothed and “fed” with the best, treated with awe and reverence.

Psalm 135 is a rousing praise psalm to remind Israel that the Lord is greater than the gods of the nations. It was also a stern reminder to Israel that worshiping idols was foolish. These idols were “silver and gold, made by human hands” (v. 15). They had mouths, eyes and ears that did not work (vv. 16–18). These gods could never save or deliver like the Lord. The psalm reminds Israel that the Lord is the One who delivered them from Egypt and brought them into the land of Canaan (vv. 8–12).

Living in the twenty-first century, it is easy to think we are immune to the danger of worshiping idols. But an idol is anything in which we place our allegiance, trust, or hope instead of God. An idol could be our reliance on social media for affirmation or the hope we entrust to politicians. There are hundreds of ways we can fall into the trap of idol worship. An added danger is that we become like what we worship (v. 18).

The good news is that if we worship God, we will grow to become like Him. As Paul explained, “And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory” (2 Cor. 3:18).

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It can be easy for our prayer life to devolve into a series of requests: “God can you help me with X…? Can you bring healing to Y…?” And on and on. This is not necessarily a bad thing. Jesus invites us, “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you” (Matt. 7:7). The problem comes when we start envisioning our relationship with God as a customer to vendor or a supervisor to underling.

Psalm 123 reminds us of our proper standing before God. We do not look down on God or view Him as an equal. Instead, the psalmist proclaims, “I lift up my eyes to you, to you who sit enthroned in heaven” (v. 1). God is enthroned over the universe. Our relationship with Him is of servant to master (v. 2). Being a child of God means waiting upon Him, attending His word and obeying. We are at His service.

Being God’s servant has benefits. We can expect Him to hear when we call. The psalmist had been ridiculed and mocked by scoffers (v. 4). Because he was God’s servant this was a problem for God as well. Would God allow His servant to be treated poorly? It could be that God had His own purpose for this situation, but this psalm models for us that it is appropriate to ask for God to intervene when we face a difficult situation. We can do this not because God is at our beck and call but because we trust in His mercy and unfailing love (v. 3). We know that He cares. As the author of Hebrews instructs, “Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need” (Heb. 4:16).

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On November 19, 1863, Abraham Lincoln delivered a speech as part of the dedication ceremony of Soldiers’ National Cemetery at Gettysburg. His speech was only two minutes long and comprised of 271 words. Even though it was brief, the President’s speech had a huge impact. It is often quoted, alluded to, and has become an important part of our American heritage.

Psalm 117 might be the shortest chapter of the Bible, yet it also has a profound meaning out of proportion to its length. The psalm opens with a call to praise. Notice that it is not directed at Israel or the worshiping community. Instead, the psalmist calls the nations to praise Yahweh, the God of Israel (v. 1)! This psalm reminds Israel that God’s desire was always to reach the nations through Israel. God called Israel not because He rejected the nations, but so that the nations could eventually join Israel in true worship (Gen. 12:3). The apostle Paul picked up on this teaching, “Christ has become a servant of the Jews on behalf of God’s truth, so that the promises made to the patriarchs might be confirmed and, moreover, that the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy” (Rom. 15:8–9).

The psalmist does not just call the nations to worship God but gives them some reasons to do so as well, “For great is his love toward us” (v. 2). The word great is a strong one and better translated as “prevailed.” God’s love has prevailed in a fallen world. His commitment to provide salvation for all people is unshakable (v. 2).

This psalm gives us a helpful way to think about evangelism. In sharing the gospel, we are calling people to come and join us in the worship of the true God. This is what we were created for. Praise God that in His mercy, He has made a way for us to be reconciled to Him.

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Psalm 113 opens with a rousing call to praise. The psalmist declares that God’s praise should be broadcast “from the rising of the sun to the place where it sets” (v. 3). This is a stunning claim. Should the Lord be praised in Philistia? Yes, even in Philistia. Should the Lord be praised in Egypt? Yes, in Egypt. Should the Lord be praised in Iowa? Brazil? Bangladesh? Yes, from the east to the west!

The Lord is worthy of worship from all people because there is no one like Him (v. 5). One of things that makes God so unique is that even though He is more powerful and exulted than anyone in the universe, “he raises the poor from the dust and lifts the needy from the ash heap” (v. 7). He cares deeply about people that we are often quick to ignore. The powerless and broken are especially noticed by Him.

Psalm 113 begins a series of psalms that are traditionally used at Passover to celebrate Israel’s exodus from Egypt. It is likely that Jesus and His disciples sang Psalms 113–118 as a part of the Last Supper (Matt. 26:30). God heard the cries of His people and delivered them. He humbled Pharaoh and made the needy rejoice.

This theme comes to its fulfillment in the gospel. The apostle Paul said, “Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth. But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God choose the weak things of the world to shame the strong” (1 Cor. 1:26–27). If God notices the weak and vulnerable, that is a perspective that we should have as well. Praise God today for His provision and care!

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