Jesus, the Son of God and Savior

The Bible refers to Jesus by various names and titles. And although the first chronological references written about Him are in the Hebrew scriptures, the ones that seem to most discuss Him prior to that are in the New Testament.

In response to a statement about His age made by some of the Jews:

58 Jesus said to them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I AM.” (John 8:58, NKJV throughout unless otherwise specified)

The term “I AM” was part of the Divine Name in the Old Testament. When Jesus said He was “I AM,” He was telling people that He predated creation.

Notice also the following:

1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. (John 1:1-4).

While some unitarians do not like the above passage (and some of their objections are dealt with in the article ), the simply truth is that Jesus was called the Word and He became flesh.

The New Testament is clear that Jesus predated the physical creations:

15 He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. 16 For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him. 17 And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist. 18 And He is the head of the body, the church, who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in all things He may have the preeminence. (Colossians 1:15-18)

While some trinitarians improperly claim that Jesus was fully human and fully divine while on the earth in the flesh (see Did the True Church Ever Teach a Trinity?), this is not what the Bible teaches. Notice two passages that should make that clear for those willing to believe the Bible over traditions of men:

14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth. (John 1:14)

5 For, let this mind be in you that [is] also in Christ Jesus, 6 who, being in the form of God, thought [it] not robbery to be equal to God, 7 but did empty himself, the form of a servant having taken, in the likeness of men having been made, 8 and in fashion having been found as a man, he humbled himself…(Philippians 2:5-8a, Young’s Literal Translation)

Jesus emptied Himself of His divinity when He physically came into the womb Mary. An article of related interest may be Jesus is God, But Became Flesh.

The Apostle Paul makes clear that Jesus was God in the Old Testament as well as the New:

1 Moreover, brethren, I do not want you to be unaware that all our fathers were under the cloud, all passed through the sea, 2 all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea, 3 all ate the same spiritual food, 4 and all drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them, and that Rock was Christ. 5 But with most of them God was not well pleased, for their bodies were scattered in the wilderness. (1 Corinthians 10:1-5)

7 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ (Romans 1:7).

9 For in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily (Colossians 2:9).

It is only through the name of Jesus that we can be saved:

10 let it be known to you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead, by Him this man stands here before you whole. 11 This is the ‘stone which was rejected by you builders, which has become the chief cornerstone.’ 12 Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved. (Acts 4:10-12)

4 And you shall know no God but Me; For there is no savior besides Me. (Hosea 13:4)

Jesus is the Saviour.

Who was Jesus? Why did He come to earth? What message did He bring? Did Jesus teach and keep the Ten Commandments? Why is the kingdom of God mystery? Why did Jesus speak in parables? Is there evidence outside the Bible that He existed? What did Josephus, Tactitus, and Suetonius write? How will Jesus return? Could the Beast be a ‘false christ’?

There is sermon by the Continuing Church of God titled Jesus: Son of God and Saviour. and it addresses those questions and more.

Some items of possibly related interest may include:

Jesus: The Son of God and Saviour Who was Jesus? Why did He come to earth? What message did He bring? Is there evidence outside the Bible that He existed? Here is a YouTube sermon titled Jesus: Son of God and Saviour.
Jesus is God, But Became Flesh Was Jesus fully human and fully God or what?
Virgin Birth: Does the Bible Teach It? What does the Bible teach? What is claimed in The Da Vinci Code?
Did Early Christians Think the Holy Spirit Was A Separate Person in a Trinity? Or did they have a different view?
What is the Holy Spirit? This is an article by Rod Reynolds.
Did the True Church Ever Teach a Trinity? Most act like this is so, but is it?
Was Unitarianism the Teaching of the Bible or Early Church? Many, including Jehovah’s Witnesses, claim it was, but was it?
Binitarianism: One God, Two Beings Before the Beginning This is a shorter article than the Binitarian View article, but has a little more information on binitarianism.