The Truth About Jesus: Understanding His Purpose and Person
Standing on the ancient steps of the Temple Mount in Jerusalem, where Jesus himself once walked, brings a profound reality to the Gospel accounts. These same stones witnessed Jesus teaching, healing, and ultimately declaring his divine identity to a skeptical world. Today, just as 2,000 years ago, people struggle with understanding who Jesus really is and why he came.
Why Does Understanding Jesus Matter?
Your eternal destiny depends on getting Jesus right. If you're wrong about who Jesus is and what he does, your wrong belief will send your soul straight to hell. This isn't a casual theological discussion—it's a matter of eternal life or death.
The Book of John was written specifically so that you might believe that Jesus is the Son of God, and that by believing, you might have life through his name. Every miracle, every teaching, every confrontation recorded serves this ultimate purpose.
What Was Jesus' True Purpose?
The Jews Expected Earthly Liberation
During the Feast of Dedication (Hanukkah), the Jews surrounded Jesus and demanded, "How long do you keep us in doubt? If you are the Christ, tell us plainly." This wasn't an innocent question—it was asked in both malice and misunderstanding.
The timing is significant. The Feast of Dedication commemorated Judas Maccabeus's military victory over the Syrians in 167 BC, when he liberated the temple and restored Jewish worship. The Jews were asking Jesus if he would be their political and military liberator from Roman oppression, just like Maccabeus had been from the Syrians.
Jesus Came to Give Eternal Life
Jesus redirected their focus: "The works that I do in my Father's name, they bear witness of me. But you do not believe because you are not of my sheep." His miracles—healing the sick, feeding the 5,000, walking on water, giving sight to the blind—all demonstrated his true identity and purpose.
But Jesus didn't come to solve earthly problems. He came to give eternal life. "My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish."
Are You Looking for the Wrong Jesus?
Many people today make the same mistake as the first-century Jews. They want Jesus to be their personal problem-solver—to give them financial independence, cure all their illnesses, make life comfortable, or remove all difficulties.
That's not Jesus' purpose. He didn't come to be a genie in a bottle. He came to save you from your sins and give you eternal life.
What Are the Marks of Being Jesus' Sheep?
Jesus identifies three characteristics of his sheep:
They hear his voice - Is there a stirring in your spirit when you hear the Gospel?
Jesus knows them - This happens through believing in what he accomplished on the cross
They follow him - Do you possess what you profess? Does your life demonstrate that you actually follow Jesus?
How Secure Is Your Salvation?
Once you believe in Jesus, your salvation is eternally secure. Jesus declares, "I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish, neither shall anyone snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of my Father's hand."
If you could lose your salvation, you would. If there was something you had to do to keep yourself saved, you would lose it the moment you got it. But Jesus has you secure in his hands, and the Father's hands are around his hands. Your salvation doesn't depend on your performance—it depends on Jesus' finished work.
Who Is Jesus Really?
The Jews Rejected His Divine Identity
When Jesus declared, "I and my Father are one," the Jews immediately picked up stones to kill him. They understood exactly what he was claiming—to be God himself. They accused him of blasphemy, saying, "You, being a man, make yourself God."
But they had it backwards. Jesus wasn't a man making himself God. Jesus was God who made himself man. The Word became flesh and dwelt among us.
The Evidence Was Overwhelming
Jesus pointed to his works as evidence: "If I do not do the works of my Father, do not believe me. But if I do, though you do not believe me, believe the works, that you may know and believe that the Father is in me, and I in Him."
Can anyone possessed by demons heal people, give sight to the blind, walk on water, or turn water into wine? Only God can do such things.
What Proof Do You Need?
For Non-Christians
If you're not a Christian, what would it take for you to believe right now? Look at the transformed lives around you—people freed from addiction, abuse, greed, and destructive lifestyles. Jesus has broken chains and restored relationships for countless people you know.
The evidence is overwhelming. What are you waiting for?
For Christians
If you're already a Christian, what proof do you need to fully surrender your life to Christ? You've seen what God has done for others—restored marriages, transformed prodigal children, broken sinful habits. You want those same changes, but you're scared to let go of that one thing you're holding onto.
What are you afraid of? You see the joy and freedom in others who have surrendered completely to Christ. What further proof do you need?
Life Application
This week, examine your heart honestly. Are you treating Jesus like a good luck charm or a crutch to make life easier? Or is he truly the Lord of your life?
If you've never believed in Jesus as your Savior, don't wait another day. The evidence is clear, the invitation is open, and your eternity hangs in the balance.
If you're already a Christian but holding back in some area of your life, remember that Jesus has you secure in his hands. You can trust him completely with that fear, that sin, that area of your life you've been protecting.
Questions for reflection:
Do I truly understand that Jesus came to give eternal life, not just solve my earthly problems?
Am I hearing Jesus' voice and following him, or just claiming to believe?
What area of my life am I still afraid to surrender completely to Christ?
What proof am I waiting for that Jesus hasn't already provided through his works and the transformed lives around me?