Who Is Jesus? | Anticipating His Return

A New Beginning presents a book about the greatest evangelist of the 20th century, Billy Graham, written by his friend, Pastor Greg Laurie. I bring insights that maybe other books have not really touched on. I also weave in a lot of my personal experiences, one-on-one with Billy, things he said to me, and things I gleaned by watching him. So if you want to learn more about this man that changed the world, get your copy of Billy Graham, The Man I Knew.

Yours for a gift of any amount at Harvest.org. The second coming of Jesus is described so many times in Scripture. For every prophecy speaking about the first coming of Christ, there are eight prophecies relating to a second coming. Pastor Greg Laurie says our level of excitement about the soon return of the Lord tells us a lot about our spiritual health. How excited are you today? Really, the teaching of the imminent return of Jesus is a great barometer of where you are at in your walk with God. When we've invited someone over for dinner and they're on their way, our excitement about it says something about our feelings for them.

Is it not? Your best friend since childhood? Oh, can't wait! Your boss who invited himself over?

Was that tonight? Well, today on A New Beginning, as Pastor Greg Laurie brings us some foundational insights on the character and attributes of Jesus, we'll give thought to his second coming. A revealing look at how much we love the Lord.

So we're in a new series right now that we're calling Timeless, and it's effectively Theology 101. Now, in our first message in this series, we talked about God the Father because God has presented to us in Scripture as a triune being, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. So we explored God the Father. We talked about his attributes, his omniscience, which means he knows everything. His omnipotence, meaning he has unlimited power. His omnipresence, meaning he can be present everywhere at the same time. We looked at his holiness, his righteousness. And as we learn more about God, he can seem so mysterious, so awesome, and so unapproachable. And that is where Jesus comes in.

Jesus was God with a face. Heard a story about a little boy who was scared one night because it was a thunderstorm. He called out from his bedroom, Daddy, Daddy, I'm scared. Come in here and be with me. And the Father said, Son, now it's late. You're fine. Daddy, come in here, Son. You're all right. God is with you.

And then a moment passed and the little boy shot back, but right now, Daddy, I need someone with skin on. That's who Jesus was. He was God with skin on, if you will.

Jesus was God spelling himself out in a language we could understand. Now, you want to talk about influence. You know, you'll hear about some celebrity that has millions and millions of followers, and we may rate how influential they are by how many followers they have on social media. Or the guest of honor at a celebration might be called the man or woman of the hour. Every December, Time magazine has their person of the year.

Then every 10th year, they have the person of the decade. Then you have certain eras that are defined. For instance, there's the Victorian period after Queen Victoria. Or the Elizabethan period named after Queen Elizabeth. But there is only one person that divides history in half, and that's Jesus Christ.

We have B.C. and A.D. before Christ and A.D., Anno, Domini, the year of our Lord. Jesus Christ is the most powerful name in the universe. It's the name above all names. If you don't believe me, just say it somewhere.

Say it in a room full of people. You know, Jesus Christ, people will kind of look your direction. It's the name above all names, and there is power in that name. Why do people react? Because there's never been, nor will there ever be, anyone like Jesus. But here's the big question now. Why did Jesus come to this earth?

Why? And people think Jesus was the greatest moral teacher, or He came to provide the ultimate example for humanity. Not at all. Jesus came to this earth specifically to die for the sin of the world. That is why He came. The Bible is so clear on this point. In fact, in Revelation 13 we read, He was slain from the foundation of the world.

What does that mean? That means long before there was a planet called earth, or a garden called Eden, or a couple named Adam and Eve, a decision was made in heaven that God would send His Son, Jesus Christ, on a rescue operation to redeem mankind because God knew that Adam and Eve would eat of the forbidden fruit. And sin would spread like a horrible virus across the planet.

And the only solution was Jesus coming to die for the sin of the world. We are told in Romans 5-8, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. And at some moment, while He hung on the cross of Calvary, the sin of the world was placed upon Him.

It is believed by many, including myself, that it was at the moment that He said, My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me? And He was bearing Your sin and My sin and all of humanity's sin. In some mysterious way, which we can never fully comprehend, during those awful hours on the cross, the Father was pouring out the full measure of His wrath against sin, and the recipient of that wrath was God's beloved Son. Listen to this, God was punishing Jesus as if He had personally committed every wicked deed committed by every wicked sinner, and in doing so, He could forgive and treat those redeemed ones as if they had lived Christ's perfect life of righteousness.

So Jesus came to die for the sin of the world. And also, He came to absorb God's wrath. You see, if God were not just, there would be no demand for a son to suffer and die. But if God were not loving, there would be no willingness for a son to suffer and die. But God was both just and willing. And He came and laid His life down for us. He absorbed God's wrath and my place, the judgment that you should have faced.

And this is very important. Because I think when we sin, we feel we have to sort of atone for it and beat ourselves up for it. And I think we need to remember, it's already been atoned for.

He was already beaten up for you. That doesn't mean that I sin with abandon. It doesn't mean that I should not feel guilt or remorse when I have sinned. But it does mean that once I have sinned and if I've confessed it to God, I should believe He has forgiven me and I should not walk in guilt, but I should walk in forgiveness.

This is very important. Because Christ already absorbed the wrath of God. Jesus also died on the cross to show His love for us. Ephesians 5, 25 says, Christ loved the church and gave Himself up for her. Jesus Himself said, for God so loved the world, He gave His only begotten Son. Paul said, He loved me and He gave Himself for me. Sometimes you may wonder, does God really love me? Take a long look at the cross. Imagine for a moment Christ hanging there for you. And remember, it was not nails that held Him to that cross 2,000 years ago.

It was love. But Jesus also suffered and died to provide our forgiveness and justification. He suffered and died to provide our forgiveness and justification. Ephesians 5, 9 says, we've been justified by His blood.

So let me explain. To be forgiven, it means my sin is removed. And as far as the east is from the west, as far as sin is put away from me, you can't find it.

It's gone. As a lady named Corriton Boom once said, God threw our sin into the sea of forgetfulness and He posted a sign that says, no fishing allowed. I like that. So it's forgiven, but it's more than forgiveness. It's like they say in those commercials on television.

But wait, there's more. You're justified. So when the Bible says you're justified, what does that mean?

It's a word that can be translated to say, just as if it never had happened. So He's expunged the record for you. Not only is your sin forgiven, not only is your sin forgotten, but your sin is removed.

You're justified like you had never done it even in the first place. Pastor Greg Laurie will have the second half of his message in just a moment. Whenever you send us an email, letter, or post a comment on social media, we read every word. Greg Laurie is one of my favorite pastors as he stays true to the gospel. I was invited as a high schooler to Harvest Christian Fellowship in Riverside, California in 2005, and it was then that I realized I can worship without being judged. I now listen to Greg's podcast, and it was through his sermons, reading from God's word, that I realized who Jesus really was. I am thankful that Pastor Greg speaks truth and with humor. Now that I am a Christian, it makes me want to share Jesus with others. Thank you, Greg and Harvest Ministries, for making these podcasts available. When we hear from you, it's not only a blessing, it also confirms that the program is touching lives here in this community. If you have a story to share, call Pastor Greg and leave him a message. Call 1-866-871-1144.

That's 866-871-1144. Well, we're gleaning some fundamental scriptural truth in Pastor Greg's new series called Timeless. Today, we're answering the question, Who is Jesus?

Let's continue. Jesus was God. Jesus became a man.

Jesus did not void his deity. He simply veiled it, and Jesus will come back again. Jesus will come back again.

The angels told the disciples when Christ was ascending, or flying if you will, Men of Galilee, why do you stand gazing up into heaven? This same Jesus, who was taken from you into heaven, will so come in like manner as you saw him go into heaven. Jesus Christ is coming.

The incarnation without the coronation would be like the east without the west. The second coming of Jesus is described so many times in scripture. It's mentioned over 1,800 times in the Old Testament, 300 times in the New Testament. In fact, statistically, one in every 25 verses in the Bible mentions the Lord's return. For every prophecy speaking about the first coming of Christ, there are eight prophecies relating to a second coming. This is a clear, strong biblical message. Jesus said, I am coming soon.

Hold on to what you have. I'm coming soon. Jesus said in John 14, If I go, I will come again and receive you unto myself, that where I am you may be also. Then he adds, So let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.

It was Spurgeon who said, The sound of his approach should be as music to our ears. So when you hear Christ is coming, it should make your heart jump a little bit. But if it brings a little dread to your heart, that would make me wonder where you're at spiritually. Really, the teaching of the imminent return of Jesus is a great barometer of where you are at in your walk with God. I think when you're right with God, you look forward to his return. In fact, it even has a purifying effect on you spiritually. For it says in 1 John, He that has this hope, that is the hope of the Lord's return, he purifies himself even as he is pure.

So it affects us. And I love what John says in Revelation 22, 20. He says, He that testifies to these things says, Yes, I am coming quickly. That's the Lord speaking. And then John says, Amen, come Lord Jesus.

I love that. I'm coming quickly. Amen. Come Lord Jesus. Let's say that together. Amen, come Lord Jesus. That's how we should live every day. Lord, if you want to come today, I'm ready.

And I'm looking forward to it. So let's wrap this up. Who is Jesus? Jesus is everything. He's everything. He's everything you need.

He's what you're looking for from the earliest days of your life. And let's review how Jesus can meet every need of your life. He was and is God.

Going back to Isaiah 9, 6, you call his name Wonderful, the mighty God, the everlasting Father. Listen, whatever you're going through, the almighty, all-knowing, all-powerful God is with you. And he will give you the wisdom you need. He'll give you the resources you need. He'll give you the strength you need. You just need to call out to him because he is able to do abundantly above and beyond that which you could ask or think.

But Jesus, who is God, became a man. He knows what it's like to walk in your shoes. He knows what it's like to be tempted and to be rejected. He knows what it's like to be abandoned and betrayed. And he's here with you in your testing and temptation. Maybe I'm talking to somebody right now who's going through a time of great testing and you don't know why God has allowed this in your life. Or you're going through a time of great temptation and you're wondering, how am I gonna get through this time? Jesus has been there. He knows all about it. Been there, done that.

Bought the T-shirt. Hebrews 4.15 says this high priest of ours, speaking of Christ, understands our weaknesses, for he faced all the same temptations that we do, yet he did not sin. So let us come boldly to the throne of grace that we will receive as mercy and find grace to help when we need it most. He's been there. And by the way, Jesus modeled for us how to face temptation.

Going back to the wilderness. Remember, he went into the wilderness for 48 and 49 and he was tempted by the devil. He faced three basic temptations. Satan showed him all the kingdoms of the world and he said, all of this is mine and I can give it to whoever I want. Fall down and worship me and it will be yours. Christ said, it is written, men shall worship God and God alone. Satan said, I know you're hungry, Jesus, and why don't you take this rock right now and turn it into a piece of bread? Jesus replies, it is written, men shall not live by bread alone but by every word that God speaks.

And there Jesus is giving us a model to follow. He could have pulled executive privilege. He could have said, get out of here. But he faced it as a man to show us how we should face temptation. What was his defense against the temptation? The word of God, he quoted it again and again. The psalmist asks in Psalm 119, how shall a young man cleanse his way? Answer, by taking heed to your word. Again in Psalm 119 he says, your word have I hid in my heart that I might not sin against you. It's great to carry a Bible in your briefcase or in your purse but the best place to carry the word of God is in your heart. Memorize it.

Learn it. I remember as a brand new Christian, I started memorizing verses from the Bible and they're still with me today and how precious they are and how great it is when you can remember the word of God when you're going through a time of testing and temptation. And number three, Jesus is coming again. It's our blessed hope, our blessed hope. You know we live in a world that's filled with so much bad news. Listen, if you spend most of your time watching a news channel, you're gonna be one stressed out person. Okay, now I'm not saying you should be ignorant as to what's going on in our world. I try to keep up with what's happening.

But if all you do is read news feeds and read people ranting on Twitter and watch a news program, you're gonna be probably a pretty upset person because you look at things going on in our world. War may break out. Our nation is unraveling.

AI is going to destroy us, right? What did Jesus say? He says, when these things begin to happen, look up for your redemption is drawing near. Look up. Look up. Look up. Look up. Look up. Look up. Look up. Look up. Look up. Look up. Look up. Look up. Look up. Look up. Look up. Chin up. See, we spend too much time looking down. We're holding our phones.

You see people today, you're in a line in a restaurant, everyone's standing like this the whole time, right? You have to stoplight people looking down. We're always looking down. Stop looking down.

Look up. All these things happening, as scary as they can be at times, are reminders that God keeps his promises and Jesus is coming back again. Listen, I've read the last page in the Bible. We win in the end.

We do. So let me ask this in closing. If Jesus Christ were to come back today, tonight, would you be ready? He's coming for those who will be watching and waiting. The Bible says he will come again for those that are looking for him.

Are you looking for him? I'm not suggesting that you just stand outside and stare at the sun. No, that's not what it means to look for him. It means live in anticipation. It means live your life. Enjoy your life. But honor God. Trust God.

Put him first. Live as a faithful Christian. Share the gospel when you can. Live the life that he's called you to live.

Someone once asked D.L. Moody, the great evangelist, if he knew this was the last day of his life, how would he live it differently? He said, I would not live it any differently than I live every day of my life. We never know when the last day will come. So live every day as though it were the last day because one day it will be.

But that's okay. Because we're not afraid. Because we know we go into God's presence. Be it through rapture, when the Lord comes for his church. Be it through death. We may have many years. We may have a few years. We don't know that's in God's hands. We're not gonna worry about it.

But we're gonna make every day count for the glory of God. But I wonder. But I wonder if there's someone listening to me right now that this is kind of scary stuff I'm talking about. You're terrified of death. You're afraid of all these things we've been talking about.

You're living in agitation and worry and anxiety. And you need to know God. Remember, why did Jesus come? He was born to die that we might live. He died on that cross for you.

He shed his blood for you so you could be forgiven of your sin and have a relationship with him. And that same Jesus who was born in the manger and died on that cross and rose again from the dead and ascended to heaven and is returning again is standing at the door of your life and he is knocking and he is saying if you'll hear his voice and open the door, he will come in. Only you can open the door of your heart to Jesus.

And there might be someone here that wants to do that. So in a moment I'm gonna pray and give you an opportunity to ask Christ to come into your life and I hope you do it. So you're ready to meet the Lord and you're ready for the afterlife and you can start living this life the way it was meant to be lived. Let's pray. Now I pray for every person here. I pray you will speak to their heart and help them to see their need for Jesus.

Help them to come to you and believe if they don't know you yet. I pray that your Holy Spirit will convict them and convince them of their sin and their need for you and draw them to yourself now we pray in Jesus' name. Amen. Amen. An important prayer from Pastor Greg Laurie today here on A New Beginning.

And if you'd like to make a change in your relationship with the Lord, Pastor Greg will help you make that change in just a moment, so please stay tuned. And then let us say a word of thanks to those who support us financially, those who make it possible for us to bring you these studies each day. We're definitely a listener-supported ministry.

It's the generosity of listeners that help us be here with these programs. So if you've partnered with us, thank you. And if you have yet to partner with us, I hope you'll get in touch today and let us know that you're standing with us. Even a small investment would help. It's actually an investment in changing lives.

Thank you for partnering with us. You can donate securely online at harvest.org or write A New Beginning, Box 4000, Riverside, California, 92514. Or call us at 1-800-821-3300.

Again, that's 1-800-821-3300. Well, Pastor Greg, you mentioned before that someone can become a Christian with just a simple prayer. Maybe somebody would like to do that right now. Could you help them with that?

Sure, I'd love to. A simple prayer is right. In fact, I would like to just pray a prayer and I would ask you to pray it after me. You might even pray it out loud. This is a prayer I've led a lot of people in over the years and I've seen God change lives. There's no magic in this prayer. It's the God you're speaking to who will hear this prayer and answer this prayer. So if you want Christ to come into your life, if you want to be sure your sin is forgiven, if you want to be confident that you will go to heaven when you die, just pray this prayer, even out loud, after me right now. Pray these words, Lord Jesus, I know that I am a sinner, but I also know that you are the savior because you died on the cross for my sin and you rose again from the dead. Jesus, come into my life and forgive me of every sin I've ever committed.

I choose to follow you from this moment forward. Thank you for hearing this prayer. Thank you for answering this prayer, Lord, and I pray all of this in Jesus' name, amen. Hey, if you just prayed that prayer, I want you to know that Christ himself has come to live inside of you and I have a resource I want to send you. It's called the New Believer's Bible. So the New Believer's Bible is the New Testament in the New Living Translation with hundreds of notes that I wrote that will encourage you in this commitment you are making to follow Christ. There's some other materials included as well in what we call the New Believer's Growth Pack, but let me get this New Believer's Bible into your hands as quickly as possible.

Here's Dave to tell you more. Yeah, you can get it by calling us anytime around the clock at 1-800-821-3300. That's 1-800-821-3300. Or write A New Beginning, Box 4000, Riverside, California 92514. Or go online to harvest.org and click Know God. Well, next time, Pastor Greg continues his new series called Timeless, and we consider the third person of the Trinity. It's a study called The Holy Spirit and You. Join us here on A New Beginning with pastor and Bible teacher Greg Laurie.