Who Is Jesus?: Christology: Examination of Systemtic Theology (Examination of Systematic Theology Book 2)

The two great questions that separate cult from Christianity are “who is Jesus” and “how are you saved.” The answers separate the orthodox from the fantastical. They place us safely on Biblical foundation and long church history or dangerously upon shifting sand and short-sighted blindness.

The question speaks to the theological area of Christology. What is Christology? The word "Christology" comes from two Greek words meaning "Christ / Messiah" and "word" - which combine to mean "the study of Christ." Christology is the study of the Person and work of Jesus Christ.

Who is Jesus? A Biblical understanding of Jesus Christ is crucial to our salvation. Many cults and world religions claim to believe in Jesus Christ. The problem is that they do not believe in the Jesus Christ presented in the Bible. That is why Christology is so important. It helps us to understand the significance of the humanity and deity of Christ. It demonstrates why Jesus is the atoning sacrifice for our sins. Christology teaches us that Jesus had to be human so that He could die - and had to be God so that His death would pay for our sins. It’s perhaps the most important area of theology. Without a proper understanding of who Jesus Christ is and what He accomplished, all other areas of theology will be errant as well.

What is Biblical Christology? A Muslim, Hindu, or pagan can have a Christology but Christians should have a Biblical Christology. Biblical Christology is an understanding of Jesus Christ as present in the Bible.

An in-depth study of Biblical Christology has incredible personal impact on the believer’s daily life. As we delve into the heart of Jesus, we begin to grasp the amazing concept that He, being fully Man and fully God, loves each of us with a never-ending love, the extent of which is hard for us to imagine. The various titles and names of Christ in Scripture give insight into who He is and how He relates to us. He is our Good Shepherd, leading, protecting and caring for us as one of His own (John 10:11,14); He is the Light of the world, illuminating our pathway through a sometimes dark and uncertain world (John 8:12); He is the Prince of Peace (Isaiah 9:6), bringing tranquility into our tumultuous lives; and He is our Rock (First Corinthians 10:4), the immovable and secure base who we can trust to keep us safe and secure in Him.

Thinking about the importance of Christology and Biblical Christology, let us begin by remembering what the Bible says about Jesus. Remember Colossians 1:12-20 also called the Hymn of Christ, “For He delivered us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins. And He is the image of the invisible God, the first born of all creation. For by Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities -- all things have been created by Him and for Him. And He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together. He is also head of the body, the church; and He is the beginning, the first born from the dead; so that He Himself might come to have first place in everything. For it was the Father’s good pleasure for all the fullness to dwell in Him, and through Him to reconcile all things to Himself, having made peace through the blood of His cross; through Him, I say, whether things on earth or things in heaven.”