Jesus speaks for himself. The book of Revelation is often pigeonholed as being a book of prophecy about the end of time, however, it clearly states in the first verse that it is regarding “the revelation of Jesus Christ”. As such, it gives us a clear picture of the worship of Jesus in heaven as he sits on his throne today and the way in which he will return to judge the earth and bring justice. Chapter 19 verse 13 describes his return like this; “He is dressed in a robe dipped in blood, and his name is the Word of God.” This is reminiscent of how John describes his first arrival as a humble Galilean peasant, where he says at the beginning of the gospel account, “The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us.” The Greek word here is “logos” which is where we derive our English term “logic” from, just as 1 Corinthians chapter 1 verse 24 calls Christ the power and wisdom of God, Jesus Christ is the physical expression of God’s heart and mind. That expression is so powerful that it transcends the pages of the Bible and speaks on its own. You don’t have to be literate to understand who Jesus is because his Spirit teaches and reminds us who he is, just as he promised in John 14 verse 26.
The difference between the words of the Bible and the ideas that others have formulated is that the Bible makes the claim to be revelation while everything else is mere speculation. It is my belief that nothing can really be known apart from revelation; this was the key to the struggle of men like Kant and Kierkegaard who saw human reasoning as incapable of grasping external realities, this is in agreement with the Bible which says that God is the source of knowledge and wisdom (e.g. Proverbs 9:10, Ecclesiastes 2:26, James 1:5). Likewise, when the Bible says that Jesus taught with authority (Luke 4:32) it means that he said what a thing meant instead of what he thought it meant. This is the nature of Scripture too.
Jesus has revealed himself in myriad ways; his life, death, and resurrection are extraordinarily multifaceted in their depth and meaning, which is part of what makes him such an intriguing figure for people from all walks of life. There are three distinct Biblical roles which Jesus is revealed as having fulfilled, those are the offices of prophet, priest, and king. What is interesting is that many people who make claims about Jesus distinguishable from what the Bible says about him still grasp some of Jesus' character while ignoring other aspects. For example, Protestant liberals who neglect Biblical teaching in order to avoid offending others see Jesus' role as a priest and a king who distributes mercy to people and kindly rules over them without judging them or speaking ill of them, they forget that Jesus is also a prophet who speaks truth into our lives and reminds us that we are guilty sinners who deserve death. On the other hand, Christian fundamentalists understand Jesus as a king and prophet who rules over people and judges them, but they forget that he is also a priest who mediates for his people and forgives their sin. Many Christian evangelicals today also remember that Jesus is both priest and prophet who speaks the truth and gives grace, but they forget that he is a king who rules over their time, money, sex, food, and relationships so they do not subject themselves to his rule and obey him, but instead live hypocritical lives. For this reason a deeper trust in the Scriptures is needed; a holistic understanding of the Bible and a firm belief in its sufficiency is absolutely essential to Christianity.
The book off Hebrews chapter 4 verses 12 and 13 declares, “For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give an account.” The Bible makes the claim that God’s word (that is, Jesus as he is revealed through Scripture and the testimony of the Holy Spirit) is actively involved in judging our hearts, similarly, in James chapter 1 verses 22 through 25, the Bible is likened to a mirror in which we can see ourselves for who and what we really are; we may see our sinfulness apart from Christ and we may also see that in Christ there is no condemnation (Romans 8:1), because the believer’s sin has been forgiven and cleansed, having been replaced with Jesus’ own righteous status before God.
Without the Scripture, no one could feel the weight of their own sin and be compelled to repent and look to God for forgiveness; without the Scripture, no one would see Jesus fulfilling the roles of prophet, priest, and king or be able to ponder the many mysterious facets of his identity. Without Scripture, there would be nothing for people to speculate about; because Scripture is the only credible and tangible revelation we have of the person and work of Jesus Christ. We must look to the Bible alone if we want to see Jesus.
Recommended Reading and Sources Used:
The Bible (choose a reliable and coherent English translation such as the New International Version or English Standard Version, NIV quotations were used for this blog, however, the ESV is known to be a more literal translation).
American Jesus by Stephen Prothero
Vintage Jesus by Mark Driscoll
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