Part 4 of 12 | The Jesus Culture Can Tolerate & The Christ That Scripture Reveals
Key Scriptures
• John 1:1-18
"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things came into being through Him, and apart from Him not even one thing came into being that has come into being. In Him was life, and the life was the Light of mankind. And the Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not grasp it. A man came, one sent from God, and his name was John. He came as a witness, to testify about the Light, so that all might believe through him. He was not the Light, but he came to testify about the Light. This was the true Light that, coming into the world, enlightens every person. He was in the world, and the world came into being through Him, and yet the world did not know Him. He came to His own, and His own people did not accept Him. But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name, who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of a man, but of God. And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us; and we saw His glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth. John *testified about Him and called out, saying, “This was He of whom I said, ‘He who is coming after me has proved to be my superior, because He existed before me.’ ” For of His fullness we have all received, and grace upon grace. For the Law was given through Moses; grace and truth were realized through Jesus Christ. No one has seen God at any time; God the only Son, who is in the arms of the Father, He has explained Him."
• Mark 2:1-12
"When Jesus came back to Capernaum a few days later, it was heard that He was at home. And many were gathered together, so that there was no longer space, not even near the door; and He was speaking the word to them. And some people *came, bringing to Him a man who was paralyzed, carried by four men. And when they were unable to get to Him because of the crowd, they removed the roof above Him; and after digging an opening, they let down the pallet on which the paralyzed man was lying. And Jesus, seeing their faith, *said to the paralyzed man, “Son, your sins are forgiven.” But some of the scribes were sitting there and thinking it over in their hearts, “Why does this man speak that way? He is blaspheming! Who can forgive sins except God alone?” Immediately Jesus, aware in His spirit that they were thinking that way within themselves, *said to them, “Why are you thinking about these things in your hearts? Which is easier, to say to the paralyzed man, ‘Your sins are forgiven’; or to say, ‘Get up, and pick up your pallet and walk’? But so that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins” —He *said to the paralyzed man, “I say to you, get up, pick up your pallet, and go home.” And he got up and immediately picked up the pallet and went out in the sight of everyone, so that they were all amazed and were glorifying God, saying, “We have never seen anything like this!”
• John 8:48-59
"The Jews answered and said to Him, “Do we not rightly say that You are a Samaritan, and You have a demon?” Jesus answered, “I do not have a demon; on the contrary, I honor My Father, and you dishonor Me. But I am not seeking My glory; there is One who seeks it, and judges. Truly, truly I say to you, if anyone follows My word, he will never see death.” The Jews said to Him, “Now we know that You have a demon. Abraham died, and the prophets as well; and yet You say, ‘If anyone follows My word, he will never taste of death.’ You are not greater than our father Abraham, who died, are You? The prophets died too. Whom do You make Yourself out to be? ” Jesus answered, “If I glorify Myself, My glory is nothing; it is My Father who glorifies Me, of whom you say, ‘He is our God’; and you have not come to know Him, but I know Him. And if I say that I do not know Him, I will be a liar like you; but I do know Him, and I follow His word. Your father Abraham was overjoyed that he would see My day, and he saw it and rejoiced.” So the Jews said to Him, “You are not yet fifty years old, and You have seen Abraham?” Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly I say to you, before Abraham was born, I am.” Therefore they picked up stones to throw at Him, but Jesus hid Himself and left the temple grounds."
• John 14:1-11
"Do not let your heart be troubled; believe in God, believe also in Me. In My Father’s house are many rooms; if that were not so, I would have told you, because I am going there to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I am coming again and will take you to Myself, so that where I am, there you also will be. And you know the way where I am going.” Thomas *said to Him, “Lord, we do not know where You are going; how do we know the way?” Jesus *said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father except through Me. If you had known Me, you would have known My Father also; from now on you know Him, and have seen Him.” Philip *said to Him, “Lord, show us the Father, and it is enough for us.” Jesus *said to him, “Have I been with you for so long a time, and yet you have not come to know Me, Philip? The one who has seen Me has seen the Father; how can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? Do you not believe that I am in the Father, and the Father is in Me? The words that I say to you I do not speak on My own, but the Father, as He remains in Me, does His works. Believe Me that I am in the Father and the Father is in Me; otherwise believe because of the works themselves."
• Colossians 1:15-23
"He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation: for by Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones, or dominions, or rulers, or authorities—all things have been created through Him and for Him. He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together. He is also the head of the body, the church; and He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that He Himself will come to have first place in everything. For it was the Father’s good pleasure for all the fullness to dwell in Him, and through Him to reconcile all things to Himself, whether things on earth or things in heaven, having made peace through the blood of His cross. And although you were previously alienated and hostile in attitude, engaged in evil deeds, yet He has now reconciled you in His body of flesh through death, in order to present you before Him holy and blameless and beyond reproach — if indeed you continue in the faith firmly established and steadfast, and not shifting from the hope of the gospel that you have heard, which was proclaimed in all creation under heaven, and of which I, Paul, was made a minister."
• Philippians 2:5-11
"Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, who, as He already existed in the form of God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but emptied Himself by taking the form of a bond-servant and being born in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death: death on a cross. For this reason also God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow , of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and that every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father."
• Hebrews 1:1-14
• 1 Corinthians 15:1-28
"Now I make known to you, brothers and sisters, the gospel which I preached to you, which you also received, in which you also stand, by which you also are saved, if you hold firmly to the word which I preached to you, unless you believed in vain. For I handed down to you as of first importance what I also received, that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, and that He appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. After that He appeared to more than five hundred brothers and sisters at one time, most of whom remain until now, but some have fallen asleep; then He appeared to James, then to all the apostles; 8and last of all, as to one untimely born, He appeared to me also. For I am the least of the apostles, and not fit to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace toward me did not prove vain; but I labored even more than all of them, yet not I, but the grace of God with me. Whether then it was I or they, so we preach and so you believed. Now if Christ is preached, that He has been raised from the dead, how do some among you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? But if there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised; and if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain, your faith also is in vain. Moreover, we are even found to be false witnesses of God, because we testified against God that He raised Christ, whom He did not raise, if in fact the dead are not raised. For if the dead are not raised, then not even Christ has been raised; and if Christ has not been raised, your faith is worthless; you are still in your sins. Then also those who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. If we have hoped in Christ only in this life, we are of all people most to be pitied."
The Order of Resurrection
"But the fact is, Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who are asleep. For since by a man death came, by a Man also came the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all will be made alive. But each in his own order: Christ the first fruits, after that those who are Christ’s at His coming, then comes the end, when He hands over the kingdom to our God and Father, when He has abolished all rule and all authority and power. For He must reign until He has put all His enemies under His feet. The last enemy that will be abolished is death. For He has put all things in subjection under His feet. But when He says, “All things are put in subjection,” it is clear that this excludes the Father who put all things in subjection to Him. When all things are subjected to Him, then the Son Himself will also be subjected to the One who subjected all things to Him, so that God may be all in all."
A Manageable Jesus Cannot Be The Real Jesus
Many people who reject Christianity still speak positively about Jesus. He may be praised as a "moral teacher, social reformer, compassionate revolutionary, healer, prophet, or model of authenticity". Christians should gladly recognize every true feature in those descriptions. Jesus did teach with unmatched wisdom, welcome the despised, confront corrupt power, and embody perfect compassion. The problem begins when one true feature is detached from everything else He said and did, producing a Jesus who confirms the values of the interpreter.
A culturally manageable Jesus "never judges, never defines sin, never demands exclusive allegiance, never speaks of hell, never claims divine authority, and never requires the cross." He functions as a mirror. Progressive communities may imagine Him as the champion of every modern liberation; Conservative communities may reduce Him to the guardian of social order. Spiritual consumers may enlist Him as a coach for personal fulfillment. But THE Jesus of Scripture refuses every cage. He confronts the self-righteous and the immoral, the powerful and the powerless, the religious and the secular. He does not join our side as an assistant. He summons every side to repent and follow Him.
The central question is therefore not whether we admire "Jesus" in the abstract. It is whether the Jesus we admire is the One revealed in the apostolic testimony. A reduced Christ may be easy to applaud, but he cannot bear sin, defeat death, reveal the Father, or command the nations.
Apologetics must present the whole Christ, not a selection of traits chosen for cultural approval.
The Word Who Became Flesh
John begins his Gospel before Bethlehem: "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God." The Word is personally distinguishable from God and yet fully divine. All things were made through Him; therefore He belongs on the Creator side of the Creator-creature distinction. John then announces the staggering movement of the incarnation: "the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us." The Eternal Son did not stop being God or merely appear human. He truly assumed human nature and entered our history.
The incarnation protects truths that culture and false religion repeatedly divide. Jesus is not a demigod, an exalted creature, God wearing a temporary human costume, or a man later promoted to divinity. HE IS One Person, Truly God and Truly Man. Because He is human, He can represent us, obey where Adam failed, suffer, die, and serve as a merciful High Priest. Because He is divine, His self-revelation is final, His saving work possesses immeasurable worth, His rule is universal, and worship offered to Him is right.
Colossians 1 calls Him the image of the invisible God, the One through whom and for whom all things were created, the One before all things, and the One in whom all things hold together. The term "firstborn" in that context does not mean first creature; it describes supremacy and inheritance, as the surrounding lines explicitly place Him before and over creation. He is also the head of the church and the firstborn from the dead, so His supremacy embraces creation and new creation. Christianity does not add Jesus to an otherwise complete life. Everything exists through Him and for Him.
The Authority To Forgive, Command, & Judge
In Mark 2, friends lower a paralyzed man through a roof. Jesus first says, "Son, thy sins be forgiven thee." The scribes correctly recognize that forgiving sins in this direct manner is a divine prerogative. Jesus does not correct their premise. He heals the man so that they may know the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins. The miracle is a visible confirmation of an invisible claim.
This is one reason the description "only a good teacher" cannot hold. A merely human teacher who announced forgiveness on his own authority, accepted worship, claimed preexistence, and placed people's eternal destiny in relation to himself would not be morally modest.
In John 8, Jesus says, "Before Abraham was, I am," and His hearers reach for stones because they understand the weight of the claim. In John 14, He identifies Himself as the way, the truth, and the life and says no one comes to the Father except through Him. We should not exaggerate a single verse in isolation, but the cumulative pattern across the New Testament is unmistakable.
The tenderness of Jesus must not be separated from this authority. He welcomes children and warns of judgment. He touches lepers and commands repentance. He weeps at Lazarus's grave and then summons the dead man by sovereign word. He forgives the adulterous woman and tells her to leave her life of sin. Biblical compassion is not a softness that refuses moral truth. It is the holy love of the King who moves toward sinners to rescue and transform them.
The Humiliation & Exaltation Of The Lord
Philippians 2:5-11 traces the downward and upward movement of Christ's saving mission. Existing in the form of God, the Son did not exploit His status for selfish advantage. He took the form of a servant, entered true humanity, humbled Himself, and became obedient unto death, even the shameful death of the cross. His humility is not evidence that He lacked deity; it reveals what divine self-giving love looks like.
The Father then highly exalted Him and bestowed the name above every name, so that every knee will bow and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord. Paul's language echoes Isaiah's declaration that every knee bows to the LORD. The confession is therefore not merely that Jesus has been given an important title. The crucified One shares the divine honor and universal rule.
History is moving toward public acknowledgment of the Lordship many now deny.
This passage also governs the manner of our defense. The Lord we proclaim did not cling to privilege, crush the weak, or seek status through self-promotion. He obeyed unto death. Christians cannot defend His deity while rejecting His humility. If our apologetics is driven by humiliation of opponents, personal platform, or the thrill of dominance, we contradict the shape of the gospel even when our propositions are technically correct.
The Resurrection Will Not Remain A Metaphor
Contemporary speech sometimes celebrates "resurrection" as a symbol of hope, renewal, or social change while setting aside the claim that Jesus bodily left the tomb. The New Testament permits no such reduction. In 1 Corinthians 15, Paul reminds the church that Christ died for sins, was buried, was raised on the third day, and appeared to named witnesses and groups. The proclamation concerns an event that could be testified to, denied, investigated, and publicly announced.
Paul makes the consequences explicit: if Christ has not been raised, apostolic preaching is empty, faith is vain, the apostles are false witnesses, believers remain in their sins, and the Christian dead have perished. Christianity is not insulated from historical examination by retreating into private meaning. Its central claim could be false. Paul then declares that Christ has indeed been raised, the firstfruits of those who sleep. The resurrection vindicates Jesus, confirms the efficacy of the cross, inaugurates new creation, and guarantees the future resurrection of His people.
When discussing the resurrection, Christians can point to a converging historical case: Jesus' death by crucifixion, the early proclamation that He was raised, the transformation and testimony of disciples, appearances reported to individuals and groups, the conversion of former opponents such as Paul, and the emergence of a resurrection-centered movement in the very world where Jesus was executed. No single fact forces faith in isolation, but together they demand an explanation. The best explanation offered by the apostles is the one the church continues to confess: God raised Jesus from the dead.
Why The Only Savior Is Not An Expression Of Hatred
The exclusive claim of Christ is deeply offensive in a pluralistic society. People may ask why sincere followers of other religions cannot reach God by different roads. The Christian answer must begin neither with superiority nor with a shallow comparison of religions. It begins with the human condition and the identity of Jesus. If our central problem is ignorance, many teachers might help. If it is guilt before a holy God, bondage to sin, and death, we need reconciliation and resurrection - not merely advice.
Christianity does not teach that good Christians climb to God while bad outsiders fail. It teaches that all have sinned and that God came down in grace. The uniqueness of salvation follows from the uniqueness of the Savior. No other person is the incarnate Son, bears sin in a once-for-all sacrifice, and rises as Lord over death. Acts 4:12 does not present Jesus as one successful religious founder competing for market share. It declares that salvation is found in no other name because no other name belongs to the One who has accomplished this rescue.
This claim should produce tears, urgency, missions, hospitality, and patient explanation - not arrogance. A doctor who knows the only antidote to a fatal poison is not loving if she hides it to appear inclusive. The analogy is limited, but it reveals the moral issue: if the gospel is true, silence is not neutrality. We proclaim Christ because people of every nation, background, and prior belief are invited to receive the same undeserved mercy.
PASTORAL WARNING: A Jesus redesigned so that no one must repent may receive cultural applause, but he cannot be the holy Lord revealed in Scripture. Be especially watchful when the language of love is used to separate Christ's compassion from His commands or His welcome from His call to transformation.
The Names Of Jesus Carry Divine Claims
The New Testament does not allow Jesus to remain an inspiring but undefined religious figure. He is called the Word who was with God and was God (John 1:1), the image of the invisible God and Creator of all things (Colossians 1:15-17), the radiance of God's glory and exact imprint of His nature (Hebrews 1:3), and the Lord before whom every knee will bow (Philippians 2:10-11, echoing Isaiah 45). These titles are not late decorations placed on an ordinary teacher. They are woven into the earliest apostolic proclamation, worship, baptism, prayer, and confession.
Jesus' preferred title, "Son of Man," also carries more than humility. Daniel 7 presents one like a son of man receiving everlasting dominion from the Ancient of Days and the worshipful service of the nations. Jesus joins that authority to His suffering mission: the Son of Man must be rejected, killed, raised, and later come in glory. He does not fit a culture's simple categories of gentle teacher or political revolutionary. He is the suffering King and coming Judge. To defend Christ faithfully is to refuse every reduction that preserves His comfort while removing His crown.
Why The Incarnation Matters For Salvation
John 1:14 declares that the eternal Word became flesh and dwelt among us. Christianity does not teach that God merely appeared human, adopted a righteous man, or sent an impersonal spiritual principle. The Son truly assumed human nature without ceasing to be divine. This protects the reality of His obedience, suffering, death, and resurrection. A phantom cannot represent humanity, and a merely human savior cannot bear the saving weight Scripture assigns to Christ.
Hebrews 2 explains that the Son shared flesh and blood in order to destroy the one who had the power of death and to become a merciful and faithful High Priest. Hebrews 4 adds that He was tempted in every respect as we are, yet without sin. The incarnation means God's answer to human ruin is not detached instruction. The Son entered weakness, obeyed where Adam failed, suffered under injustice, tasted death, and now intercedes with perfect sympathy. When Christianity is accused of presenting a distant God, the church points to Emmanuel: God with us.
The Cross Reveals Who Jesus Is
At the cross, Jesus is not a helpless victim whose mission accidentally failed. The Gospels portray Him knowingly giving His life as a ransom, bearing the covenant curse, forgiving enemies, fulfilling Scripture, and completing the work the Father gave Him. The charge above His head mocks His kingship, yet the cross becomes His throne of self-giving victory. Divine power is revealed not as arbitrary domination but as holy love willing to bear the cost of redeeming enemies.
The resurrection is the Father's vindication of the Son and the beginning of new creation. It declares that Jesus' claims were not blasphemous, that His sacrifice was accepted, that death's dominion has been broken, and that final judgment has been entrusted to Him (Acts 17:31). A culture may admire Jesus' ethics while treating resurrection as optional symbolism. Paul refuses that separation in 1 Corinthians 15. If Christ has not been raised, apostolic preaching is false and faith is futile. The real Jesus confronts every hearer with a historical and eschatological claim.
To Know Christ Is To Worship & Follow Him
Thomas responds to the risen Jesus, "My Lord and my God" (John 20:28). Jesus receives the confession rather than correcting it. Throughout Revelation, the Lamb shares the worship of the One seated on the throne. Biblical knowledge of Christ therefore moves toward adoration. We have not understood His identity merely because we can define incarnation, atonement, and resurrection on an examination.
The demons can recognize titles without loving the King.
Discipleship tests Christology in daily life. If Jesus is Creator, our bodies belong to Him. If He is Truth, His Word judges our opinions. If He is Savior, we cannot save ourselves through achievement. If He is Lord, obedience cannot be limited to convenient areas. If He is coming Judge, present approval is not final. Apologetics should help people see these implications with clarity and patience. The invitation is not simply to adopt a more accurate description of Jesus, but to come, worship, trust, and follow Him.
Apologetics Practice: Build A Biblical Portrait Of Jesus
Write five short statements beginning with "Jesus is," each grounded in a passage: one about His deity, one about His humanity, one about His authority, one about His saving work, and one about His promised return or final reign. Then write five statements beginning with "Jesus is not" that correct common reductions without insulting the people who hold them.
Practice answering this question in two minutes: "Why do Christians believe Jesus is more than a teacher?" Use the cumulative testimony of Scripture rather than relying on one isolated proof text. Include His claims, actions, reception of worship, authority to forgive, death, and resurrection. End by explaining why His identity matters personally: if He is Lord, the proper response is not detached admiration but repentant faith and worship.
Reflection: Which Jesus Are You Following?
1. Which aspects of Jesus are most celebrated in your cultural setting, and which are ignored or denied?
2. Have you separated Christ's compassion from His authority or His humility from His holiness?
3. Why does the incarnation require us to confess both the full deity and true humanity of Jesus?
4. What would remain of Christianity if the bodily resurrection did not occur?
5. Do you communicate the exclusivity of Christ with grief and invitation, or with superiority and distance?
6. Is there any command of Jesus you have tried to evade by imagining a more manageable version of Him?
Conclusion: Behold The Whole Christ
The Christ of Scripture is greater than every cultural portrait. He is the eternal Word made flesh, the image of the invisible God, the servant who humbled Himself to death, the risen Lord before whom every knee will bow, and the only Savior offered freely to the nations. No age can improve Him by reduction.
To defend Christ faithfully, we must know and worship Him truly. The church does not need a safer Jesus who never contradicts the spirit of the age. The world needs the real Jesus, whose holiness exposes us, whose cross reconciles us, whose resurrection gives hope, and whose lordship liberates us from every smaller master.
Closing Prayer
Lord Jesus, eternal Word and risen King, forgive me for reducing You to the parts I find comfortable. Deliver me from a cultural Jesus made in my own image. Open the Scriptures so that I may behold You as You are: truly God, truly man, holy, compassionate, crucified for sinners, raised in victory, and reigning over all. Let my defense of Your name reflect Your humility. Give me courage to confess Your uniqueness and tenderness toward those who do not yet know You. Bring every part of my life beneath Your good authority.
In Jesus Name, Amen.
Preview - Week 5
Next week we will examine the message Christ entrusted to His church. We will ask why the gospel must include sin, judgment, substitution, resurrection, repentance, and faith; why grace cannot be reduced to affirmation; and why even a small edit can create what Paul calls "another gospel."
