Skip to main content
Back to What is a Christian?

Week 3 · October 17–18

Authentic: Who Is Jesus?

Pastor Bill Young

Printable notes (PDF) (opens in a new tab)

Key points

  1. Jesus is eternal—He has always existed.

    John 1:1–3

    Jesus did not begin in Bethlehem; Bethlehem was His arrival. When He said, “Before Abraham was born, I am” (John 8:58), He claimed God's own name. Jesus did not become God—He is the eternal God who became man.

  2. Jesus is fully God—He proved it on earth.

    John 10:30

    Jesus claimed to be God, accepted worship that angels and apostles refused, performed miracles, fulfilled prophecy, and forgave sins (Mark 2:5–12). He didn't just claim to be God—He showed us He is God.

  3. Jesus is the Creator—He made everything.

    Colossians 1:15–17

    Jesus existed before anything was created, and without Him nothing was made (John 1:3). If Jesus is truly God, He doesn't deserve a place in your life—He deserves your whole life.

  4. Jesus is Savior and Lord—He came to reconcile sinners to God.

    Colossians 1:19–20

    The Creator became our Redeemer (John 1:14). Jesus didn't come to hand us a ladder to climb; He came on a rescue mission, making peace through His blood, shed on the cross.

  5. “Who do you say I am?”

    Matthew 16:13–16

    The question isn't whether you believe in Jesus—it's which Jesus you believe in. A biblical Christian has placed their faith in the Jesus revealed in the Bible: the eternal Son of God, Creator of all things, who became man, died for our sins, rose again, and is Savior and Lord.

Highlights

  • “Names are important, but identity is more important.”

    Watch from 2:51

  • “You can be wrong about many things and still be a Christian. Nobody has everything figured out. But you cannot be wrong about who Jesus fundamentally is and still have biblical Christianity.”

    Watch from 9:46

  • “Bethlehem was not Jesus' beginning. It was His arrival.”

    Watch from 17:30

  • “He's not just some nice baby in a manger. He created the wood that made the manger.”

    Watch from 40:31

  • “He didn't come to tell you how to do more, climb higher, be better. … He simply came to save you and me from our sins.”

    Watch from 45:28

Discussion questions

For a small group, with family, or on your own.

  1. ICEBREAKER—Mistaken Identity! Have you ever mistaken someone for somebody else—or been mistaken for someone else? What happened? How does that relate to knowing the real Jesus?
  2. Read 2 Corinthians 11:4 and Matthew 16:15. Why does it matter which Jesus we believe in? How can we be sure we're following the Jesus revealed in Scripture?
  3. Read John 1:1–3 and John 8:58. What do these verses reveal about Jesus? How does knowing He has always existed strengthen your faith?
  4. Jesus claimed to be God, accepted worship, performed miracles, and forgave sins. Which evidence of His deity stands out most to you, and why?
  5. Read Colossians 1:15–17. What does it mean that Jesus deserves your whole life, not just a place in your life? What might need to change?
  6. Read Colossians 1:19–20. What's the difference between trying to earn God's acceptance and trusting Jesus to rescue us? Why is that distinction so important?
  7. Read Matthew 16:13–16. How would you personally answer Jesus' question: Who do YOU say Jesus is? How can we lovingly help others—including our LDS friends—discover the Jesus revealed in the Bible?