Jesus Christ is central to the foundation of true faith and salvation, as He claimed to be the God of the Old Testament, a declaration duly reported in the Bible. If He was not who He and the Word of God claim, then He was merely a charlatan who perpetuated a lie that has endured for nearly two thousand years, leaving us without a Savior. He asserted that He came down from heaven, a unique origin no other person has ever shared, and after His time on earth, He returned to heaven from where He originated. His words carry unmatched authority, as He stated that He gives the bread of eternal life, surpassing even Moses, who merely relayed God's instructions. The apostles taught that He was God in the flesh, born of the virgin Mary in Bethlehem, and raised in Nazareth. He is described as inhabiting eternity, uncreated, and existing before all creation, alongside the Father, both of the God-kind. He is the one who has always interfaced with mankind, while the Father remains in the background for future revelation. He who became flesh existed as God before the creation, and His birth as a flesh and blood God-Being was miraculous, achieved without normal human processes, confirming He was God even in the womb. He emptied Himself of His immortality, privileges, rights, and powers of the God-kind to become mortal, subject to death, yet He remained God. He is the one who created all things, uttering the words that brought light into existence and forming Adam and Eve from the dust of the ground. His preeminence is over all creation, possessing divinity bodily in human form, as both Creator and Redeemer. He preceded all created things, affirming that there never was a time He did not exist, and His eternal existence with the Father is confirmed even at the end of His earthly life. The Living Word and the written word both affirm that our Savior is uncreated God, whose immense sacrifice for our sins meets the Father's standard of justice, humbling us to submit to His way of life.

Jesus Christ, the Son of God, is central to the divine proclamation in Psalm 2, where He is twice called God's Son, the Anointed One, and the Messiah. He is the only begotten Son of God, as declared in John 1:17, uniquely identified as the one to whom this proclamation was made, distinct from any angel. Jesus of Nazareth, born of the virgin Mary, began a human life of 33 and one-half years, during which His ministry unfolded. Even in the womb, He was God, just as the Father is God, sharing the same divine nature. At the moment of His birth, He became exalted to a position He had not held before, fulfilling the role of the New Covenant High Priest. He did not need to qualify for this office in the ordinary sense, as He was already God, inherently qualified from the time the prophecy was uttered and throughout His conception and human life. His death paid for our sins, and His resurrection completed God's purpose of providing a sinless human who was both God and man, a fitting sacrifice for humanity's redemption. As God, akin to Melchizedek, He was free to counsel and perform the duties of a high priest, replacing the Old Covenant with the New. Jesus Christ holds the threefold offices of Prophet, Priest, and King simultaneously. In Hebrews 1, He is described as the Son through whom God spoke prophetically, the High Priest who provided purification for sins, and the King ruling from His throne in the Kingdom with eternal authority. God placed Him in these offices because He loves righteousness and hates lawlessness, proving His qualification through a sinless life. He is anointed with the oil of gladness above all others, appointed by God as the ultimate leader. His divine nature is affirmed in Hebrews 1:8 and John 1:1-2, where He is addressed as God, the perfect image of the Father in character and purpose, though distinct in personality. Jesus is the door to salvation, holding the power and desire to save, essential to humanity's well-being as the link between life and death. His witness to the world of the Father and Their purpose, as recorded in John 1 and Hebrews 1, reveals His divine glory, leaving mankind without excuse. Jesus made atonement for sin by Himself, as stated in Hebrews 1:3, opening the door to God's offer of salvation. Exalted to the right side of the Father in heaven after His resurrection, He works with the Father to complete the plan of making mankind in Their image. Worship of Him is rightful, as evidenced by the homage of angels and wise men at His birth, confirming His divinity even as a newborn. As King, His Kingdom already exists in a sense for the converted, who bear the Spirit and character image of the Father and Son, though it is not yet established on earth. Hebrews 1:10-12 and other prophecies indicate that tremendous changes in heaven and earth may occur as His return nears, positioning Christianity as a claim for safety at His side. His unchanging nature, as affirmed in Hebrews 13:8, offers stability amidst worldly changes, binding us to Him as our Redeemer and Brother. Jesus Christ's life and messages radiate light and warmth, upon which mankind is utterly dependent, even in ignorance. His generosity and service are overwhelming, and His sacrifice, guaranteed by the Father's authority, demands mankind's attention and conduct. God has set humanity as served by angels, highlighting our worth in His eyes, with Jesus as our Creator and Savior, thoughtfully creating us in His image and providing the means for salvation through His Spirit and purpose.

Some in the church of God have begun to doubt the traditional teaching regarding the physical and spiritual makeup of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. The phrase "fully man and fully God" has been used to describe Him, raising questions about how He could embody both natures simultaneously. In John 2:19, when Jesus spoke of raising Himself after the temple's destruction, it is suggested that He spoke as God in the flesh. Yet, if Jesus was dead, how could He raise Himself from the dead, given that death implies a complete cessation of awareness and function? Scriptures affirm that Jesus Christ died for our sins, as stated by Paul in I Corinthians 15:3, and Jesus Himself confirms in Revelation 1:18 and 2:8 that He was dead and came to life. If He was unaware in death, it is impossible for Him to have raised Himself. Acts 2:24 clarifies that God, the Father, raised Jesus from the dead, as it was not possible for death to hold Him. This is reiterated twenty-three times in the Scriptures, emphasizing that Jesus could not perform this act Himself while dead. The resurrection by the Father also ties to the establishment of the church, the body in which God dwells, with Jesus Christ as its first Member and Head. In Matthew 16:18, Jesus declares that He will build His church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it. His statement in John 2:19 metaphorically refers to His Body, the church, which became an accomplished fact upon His resurrection by the Father. Regarding His divinity, Jesus is undeniably God, as evidenced by His name Immanuel, meaning God with us, and John 1:1-3, which identifies Him as the Word who was God. In John 8:58, He asserts His eternal existence with "Before Abraham was, I AM." However, the claim of being "fully God" while human is not explicitly made in Scripture. In John 17:5, Jesus prays to the Father to restore the glory He had before the world was, implying that during His human life, He lacked this glory which He possessed when He was fully divine before His incarnation. This suggests a distinction in His divine status during His earthly existence.

Jesus Christ, identified as God, embodies a profound mystery in His nature and actions. He is recognized as the Word who became flesh and dwelt among us, bearing the name Immanuel, meaning God with us. He Himself declared His eternal existence, stating, "Before Abraham was, I AM." Despite being God, He took on the form of a servant, emptying Himself of the outward expression of His divine essence, though He did not cease to be God. This exchange of expression meant He waived His rights to the full manifestation of Deity to live as a man, yet He retained His divine essence. In His death, Jesus experienced a state without awareness, as death is described as a complete cessation of vital functions. He could not raise Himself from the dead, being unaware in that state; instead, God the Father raised Him, as affirmed multiple times in Scripture. Jesus spoke of His body as the temple, signifying the dwelling place of Deity, and upon His resurrection, He became the Head of the church, the body in which God dwells. Regarding His divine nature, One who is fully God cannot die, as He inhabits eternity with no beginning or end of life. Yet Jesus died, bearing our sins in His body, which raises questions about the fullness of His divinity during His earthly life. He prayed to the Father to restore the glory He had before the world was, indicating something lacking in His human state that He possessed when fully expressing His divine nature. Thus, while He was God, His human form did not express the entirety of Deity, nor was He fully man in the strictest sense, but rather the Son of God manifest in the flesh and nature of a man. Jesus Christ, as Immanuel, had as much of God's nature in Him as could be expressed in a human being.

Jesus Christ was not merely an extraordinary man; He was unique, great above all others who ever lived. Every characteristic of His attributes is to be admired for His great love and unstinting giving in every aspect of His character, expressed humbly and abundantly for our eternal well-being. Never has such glorious and refined power combined with humility been expressed so flawlessly by any other Person. Contained within Him, He possessed all the intellectual powers necessary to design and bring into existence this awesome creation, populating it with stars, planets, angels, humans, animals, fish, and birds, most showing signs of life. Despite our unworthiness, He willingly took on the responsibilities, including giving His divine life in death to pay for our sins. Mankind's attitude toward its Creator was contrary, hardened, and indifferent, overwhelmingly rejecting Him despite witnessing His miraculous acts, with many appealing to Pilate to crucify Him at the end of His life. Yet, He is essential to our salvation, not only for the forgiveness of sin but also because He lives in us, works in us, directs us, and teaches us. He is all in all to us, revealing the Father, for without Him, we would not know who the Father is. If we are to see the Father, it is because we have yielded to the Son. The Word became flesh, a Spirit Being and Creator who came to be human, yet remained God. There has never been a time when He was not God, even while in the grave and after resurrection. Though human, He was also God, a perfect blending of both worlds, able to die if He gave Himself over to it, which He did. As a human, He was dependent on the same things as others, experiencing human emotion and relying on blood for life, which allowed Him to be killed when He permitted it. Through God's merciful calling, He drew us to an understanding of saving knowledge of Jesus Christ, forgave us, gave us the gift of His Holy Spirit, adopted us into His Family, and shared His abundant characteristics, so that even now, we are children of God, gradually being transformed into His likeness. The highest realization of this occurs at the resurrection when we are freed from human impurity, and God is completely manifest in us. The apostles witnessed a tiny amount of His glory during the 3½ years they spent learning from Him, observing the contrast between mankind's utter rejection and His unstinting outpouring of love. Jesus Christ, like the Father, has existed from eternity, with no time when He was anything else. He was always God, and that is His glory. As a human, He is distinguished as one of a kind, having been with the Father the entire time, never without the other. He taught the apostles in the flesh, revealing the Father and Himself, preaching the gospel and His way of life through daily interactions and living lessons. At the end of this teaching, He revealed a major extent of His love by sacrificing His life for the spiritual benefit of those following Him, loving them to the uttermost, to the last and highest degree possible. Jesus Christ is our life, our connection to eternity and its glories, vital to our spiritual progress. Without Him, we can do nothing in terms of achieving what the Father desires for us. In the epistle to the Hebrews, His qualifications as High Priest are named with thunderous clarity: He is the only begotten Son, unique among all; He is appointed Heir of all things, assuring continuance in office and administration; He is the Creator of all things and Giver of life, faithful to care for His creation; He is the brightness of God's glory and the express image of His Person, exactly like the Father in purpose and character, in no way inferior; He upholds the universe by the Word of His power, preserving and managing His creation; He Himself purged us of our sins, preparing us for His Kingdom; and He is re-established in heaven at the right hand of God, second only to the Father in rulership, witnessing His faithfulness to

Jesus Christ, as God, holds a position far superior to the angels, having inherited a more excellent name as described in Hebrews 1:4. He is declared the Son and the Anointed Messiah by God in Psalm 2, long before His human birth, affirming His divine identity as the only begotten Son of God and God Himself, alongside the Father. At His birth through the virgin Mary, God the Father assigned and declared His title as Son, marking the start of His 33½-year human life and ministry. Jesus did not need to qualify for this role in the usual sense, as He was already God at the time of the prophecy and at His conception, becoming human while remaining divine. Throughout His life, Jesus fulfilled God's purpose by being both God and man, living sinlessly, and serving as an unblemished sacrifice for humanity's sins through His death and resurrection, thus securing eternal life for mankind. At His birth, God exalted Him to the role of the New Covenant's High Priest, a position He was already enacting during His ministry. As God, He did not need to qualify for what He inherently was, though He completed His course through death and resurrection. In Hebrews 1, the author portrays Jesus as the Son through whom God spoke prophetically, the High Priest who provided purification for sins, and the King ruling from His throne with royal authority. God places Him in this office, anointing Him above His companions for His love of righteousness and hatred of lawlessness, demonstrated by His sinless life. Jesus is the essential link between humanity and eternity with God in His Family, without whom salvation would be impossible and only death in the Lake of Fire would await. Jesus holds the threefold offices of prophet, priest, and king simultaneously, making Him a Leader worthy of service, under whom great achievements and shared rewards are promised. His qualifications as High Priest are rooted in His divine nature, being God at birth, and His actions are always for humanity's well-being. He witnessed to the world of the Father and God's purpose, displaying divine glory that leaves mankind without excuse, as His life and message shine like the sun, revealing God's nature. Jesus atoned for sin by Himself, opening the door to salvation, though many fail to take this sacrifice seriously. Exalted by the Father to sit at His right side in heaven, He rose from the dead to work on Their plan for humanity's creation in God's image. It is right to worship Him as God, as evidenced by the homage paid by angels and wise men at His birth, and to address Him as such, for He is the perfect image of the Father in character and purpose, without division or competition. The Kingdom of God under King Jesus already exists spiritually through converted individuals bearing God's image, though not yet established on earth. He is the same yesterday, today, and forever, offering unchanging security amidst worldly dissolution as terrifying events approach before His return. His life and sacrifice stake a claim on humanity's attention and loyalty, as He is the Creator to whom all owe their being, the way, the truth, and the life to be followed, and the One who paid the penalty for sins to grant access to God's Kingdom.

Jesus Christ, God, often employs third-person titles and descriptors, which can create the impression that He is speaking of another being. For instance, when He refers to the Helper or the Son of Man, as in Luke 9:26 where He states, "whoever is ashamed of Me and My words, of him the Son of Man will be ashamed," He uses both personal pronouns and third-person titles within the same sentence, yet He is referring to Himself. This figurative language, though unusual to modern ears, is His chosen manner of revelation, aiding in a deeper understanding of His identity. In Acts 3:13, it is stated that the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, the God of our fathers, glorified His Servant Jesus, showing a distinction yet not specifying that this God was the only one known to the patriarchs. Similarly, in Acts 7:30-32, the Angel of the Lord, identified as the pre-incarnate Jesus Christ, speaks as the God of the fathers, using the same descriptors, indicating that titles can apply to Him as well. Scripture reveals that many divine titles, such as Creator, Almighty, and Lord, are non-specific and can refer to both the Father and the Son. In Revelation 1:8, Jesus introduces Himself as the Alpha and the Omega, the Almighty, a title also applied to the Father elsewhere. The term Yahweh, used for Lord, refers to both in various contexts, showing Their shared divine identity. The Angel of the Lord, identified as the divine Messenger and later as Jesus Christ, is central to interactions with the patriarchs. In Genesis 22:11-18, the Angel speaks directly to Abraham, declaring that Abraham did not withhold his son from Him, revealing Himself as Abraham's God. Likewise, in Genesis 31:11-13, the Angel identifies Himself as the God of Bethel to Jacob, linking Himself to the promises made to Abraham and Isaac. In Genesis 48:15-16, Jacob equates the Angel with the God before whom his fathers walked, confirming the Angel as his God. In the burning bush account of Exodus 3, the Angel appears to Moses, and the Lord speaks as the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, with verse 16 stating that the Lord God appeared, indicating visibility. This aligns with other instances where Yahweh appeared to the patriarchs, yet New Testament passages assert that no one has seen the Father except the Son, suggesting that it was Jesus Christ, as the divine Messenger, who interacted visibly with them. Thus, Jesus Christ, as the God of the fathers, was the One who directly engaged with Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Moses. He holds multiple titles—Creator, Almighty, Yahweh, the Rock, the Shepherd of Israel—demonstrating His multifaceted role and reminding us of His comprehensive nature as the way to eternal life.

Jesus Christ, as presented in the scriptures, is revealed as the eternal God with a preexistent nature. In Matthew 13:53-57, when He taught in His own country, the people were astonished at His wisdom and mighty works, questioning how the carpenter's son could possess such authority, and they were offended at Him. This reaction underscores their inability to grasp His divine identity. In Revelation 3:14, Jesus calls Himself the Beginning of the creation of God, which signifies He is the Beginner, the Author, the Source of all creation, not a created being. This is supported in Colossians 1:15-17, where He is described as the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation, through whom all things were created in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible. Ephesians 3:9 further states that God created all things through Jesus Christ, and Hebrews 1:2 affirms that God made the worlds through His Son, whom He appointed heir of all things. Hebrews 7:1-3 portrays Melchizedek, king of Salem and priest of the Most High God, as without father, mother, or genealogy, having neither beginning of days nor end of life, made like the Son of God. This description points to Jesus Christ as the eternal being who interacted with Abraham, embodying the King of righteousness and peace. John 1:1-4 and 14 declare that in the beginning was the Word, who was with God and was God, through whom all things were made, and who became flesh and dwelt among us, full of grace and truth. Revelation 19:11-13 and 16 identify Him as the Word of God, Faithful and True, King of Kings and Lord of Lords, reinforcing His divine authority and eternal existence. In I John 1:1-2, He is called the Word of Life, the eternal life that was with the Father. Jesus Himself asserts His eternal nature in Revelation 1:8 as the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End, who is, was, and is to come, the Almighty. In Revelation 1:18, He proclaims, I am He who lives, was dead, and am alive forevermore, holding the keys of Hades and Death. John 1:18 states that no one has seen God at any time, except the only begotten Son, who has declared Him, indicating His unique relationship and firsthand knowledge of the Father from eternity past. John 3:12-13 and 31-32 affirm that He came down from heaven, is above all, and testifies to what He has seen and heard there. In Luke 10:18, Jesus states He saw satan fall like lightning from heaven, revealing His presence and active role in that event, demonstrating His divine power and authority to His disciples. John 6:45-46 records His claim that He has seen the Father, a privilege only possible in His preexistent state as God. In John 8:52-58, when challenged by the Jews about His identity, He declares, before Abraham was, I AM, identifying Himself as the eternal God who interacted with Abraham, which provoked them to attempt to stone Him for blasphemy. Jesus repeatedly uses the phrase I am in John's gospel, as in John 8:23, stating He is from above, not of this world; in John 13:19, foretelling events so His disciples may believe He is God; and in John 18:4-6, where His declaration of I am causes those arresting Him to fall to the ground, showing the power in His divine name. In John 10:29-30, He asserts, I and My Father are one, revealing the unity of Their divine nature, again inciting the Jews to stone Him. In Matthew 23:37, Jesus laments over Jerusalem, expressing a personal longing to gather His people, reflecting real memories of His historical interactions as the God who led Israel out of Egypt and guided them through centuries, though they were rarely willing to listen. I Corinthians 10:1-4 identifies Him as the spiritual Rock that followed Israel in the wilderness, confirming He is the same Being who became their Savior. Finally, in Revelation 22:13 and 16, Jesus declares Himself the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End, the Root and Offspring of David, the Bright and Morning Star, affirming once more His identit

Jesus Christ is revealed as the Creator God of Genesis, the One through whom all things were made. As the Word, translated from the Greek logos, He spoke the world and everything in it into existence. He is identified as the God of the Old Testament, Yahweh Elohim, the same self-existent, eternal Being who declares Himself as the First and the Last, and as I AM. Being unchanging, He remains the same yesterday, today, and forever, serving as both the God of the Old Testament and the New. Jesus Christ, as Yahweh Elohim, created the laws to be obeyed by His people and did not come to abolish them but to give them their full meaning. He expands the understanding of these laws, emphasizing not just physical obedience but also spiritual compliance, covering thoughts and motivations. With access to God's Spirit since the first Christian Pentecost, He charges His followers to accomplish the full intent of His statutes and judgments from a new spiritual heart. As the Creator of the seventh-day Sabbath, Jesus Christ claims ownership as the Lord of the Sabbath, a title reflecting His authority as master and possessor. Nowhere does He relinquish this ownership or trade the day for another in the New Testament. The law He created as Yahweh Elohim included the Saturday Sabbath, and neither He nor His apostles sanctioned a change to Sunday. Despite this, many in Christianity fail to recognize Him as the God of the Old Testament, leading to a distorted view of His laws and commandments, particularly the Sabbath, and an unwitting acceptance of human authority over His divine authority.