Category: Biblical Jesus

From the Series: The Biblical Jesus and His Bride

_{Scripture quotations are from the New King James Version®.}
^{Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.}

Now that we have established who Jesus Christ is, we must address where authority resides. Every false christ ultimately fails at this point. They either derive authority from men, manipulate Scripture, redefine truth, or place authority in experience, power, or signs. The Biblical Jesus stands alone: truth flows from Him, not toward Him.

“All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth.” (Matthew 28:18, NKJV)

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Authority Originates in God — and Is Revealed in Christ

Authority does not come from consensus, tradition, institutions, or charisma. It belongs to God alone.

“The LORD has established His throne in heaven, and His kingdom rules over all.” (Psalm 103:19, NKJV)

Jesus does not claim delegated authority as a servant only—He speaks as the Son.

“For as the Father has life in Himself, so He has granted the Son to have life in Himself, and has given Him authority to execute judgment also, because He is the Son of Man.” (John 5:26–27, NKJV)

False christs borrow authority, and only Jesus possesses it by nature.

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Jesus Speaks with Intrinsic Authority

The crowds recognized something unmistakable:

“For He taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes.” (Matthew 7:29, NKJV)

The scribes quoted sources, but Jesus was the source. He did not say “Rabbi X says…,” “Tradition teaches…,” or “The consensus is…”. He said:

“But I say to you…” (Matthew 5:22, 28, 32, 34, NKJV)

This is not interpretation. This is divine prerogative.

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Jesus Is the Final Interpreter of Scripture

False christs either add to Scripture, subtract from it, spiritualize it away, or weaponize it. Jesus does none of these.

“The Scripture cannot be broken.” (John 10:35, NKJV)

When tempted by Satan, Jesus did not appeal to power or signs—He appealed to the written Word:

“It is written…” (Matthew 4:4, 7, 10, NKJV)

Yet He also authoritatively opens Scripture:

“Beginning at Moses and all the Prophets, He expounded to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning Himself.” (Luke 24:27, NKJV)

Christ is not subject to Scripture as a student—He is revealed by it and speaks through it.

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Jesus Defines Truth — Truth Does Not Evolve

In a world where truth is treated as flexible, Jesus makes an exclusive claim:

“I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.” (John 14:6, NKJV)

Truth is not a concept, a philosophy, a system, or a feeling. Truth is a Person, and that person is Jesus Christ.

False christs adapt to culture. The true Christ confronts it.

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Jesus’ Authority Extends Over Life, Death, and Judgment

Jesus does not merely teach truth—He enforces it.

“The Father judges no one, but has committed all judgment to the Son.” (John 5:22, NKJV)

Every false christ avoids judgment language but Jesus speaks of it plainly.

“The word that I have spoken will judge him in the last day.” (John 12:48, NKJV)

His authority is not theoretical. It is eschatological.

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Authority and Obedience Are Inseparable

Jesus never divorces belief from obedience.

“Why do you call Me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and not do the things which I say?” (Luke 6:46, NKJV)

False christs allow selective obedience, compartmentalized faith, verbal allegiance without submission. Jesus does not.

“If you love Me, keep My commandments.” (John 14:15, NKJV)

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Ante-Nicene Witness (Authority Under Christ)

The early believers did not appeal to councils, emperors, or force. They appealed to Christ’s authority alone. Justin Martyr argued from Scripture and Christ’s teachings before pagan rulers. Irenaeus insisted that truth must align with the apostolic teaching of Christ, not secret knowledge. Polycarp refused Caesar’s authority over Christ’s lordship. They understood: If Christ is Lord, no other authority is ultimate.

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Why This Matters Before We Speak of the Church

If Christ alone defines truth the Church cannot redefine doctrine, the Spirit will never contradict Christ, and the Bride cannot follow another voice.

Jesus Himself said:

“My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me.” (John 10:27, NKJV)

The Biblical Jesus: Unlike Any False Christ

_{Scripture quotations are from the New King James Version®.}
^{Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.}

Jesus Himself warned: “For false christs and false prophets will rise and show great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect” (Matthew 24:24, NKJV). In every generation, counterfeits have appeared — some denying His divinity, others twisting His humanity, and still others offering a false gospel that cannot save. Yet the Bible reveals the true Christ in all His glory.

To know the Biblical Jesus is to know the eternal Son of God, the promised Messiah of Israel, the Lamb who bore our sins, the Lord who conquered death, and the King who is coming again. To belong to Him is to be part of His Body, His Temple, and His Bride. To follow Him is to be indwelt by His Spirit, sanctified for His service, and anchored in His promises.

The Ante-Nicene believers — men and women who lived before the Council of Nicaea (A.D. 325) — held fast to these truths in a world full of persecution and false teaching. Their witness still speaks to us today, showing how to live in faith, courage, and hope.

Jesus Christ: The One and Only

Before we speak of the Church, the Holy Spirit, or the Bride, we must establish who Jesus Christ is according to God’s Word. Scripture does not allow multiple “versions” of Jesus. There is one Christ, and every false christ—past, present, or future—is measured and exposed by Him.

“For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ.” (1 Corinthians 3:11, NKJV)

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Jesus Christ Is Eternal — Not Created

The Biblical Jesus does not originate in time. He preexists creation and stands outside of it.

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” (John 1:1, NKJV)

This statement does not allow reinterpretation. The Word was God, not became God, not resembled God, not represented God.

Jesus Himself affirms this eternal glory:

“And now, O Father, glorify Me together with Yourself, with the glory which I had with You before the world was.” (John 17:5, NKJV)

False christs always arise from within creation.
The true Christ stands before it.

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Jesus Christ Is God Revealed in the Flesh

Scripture is unambiguous:

“And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us.” (John 1:14, NKJV)

Jesus did not merely appear human. He became human while remaining fully God.

Paul confirms this mystery:

“Great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifested in the flesh.” (1 Timothy 3:16, NKJV)

Any “jesus” who denies:

• His full deity
• His true humanity
• His incarnation

is not the Christ of Scripture.

John gives the test plainly:

“Every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is of God, and every spirit that does not confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is not of God.” (1 John 4:2–3, NKJV)

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Jesus Christ Alone Fulfills Prophecy

False christs make claims.
The true Christ fulfills God’s Word.

Jesus declared after His resurrection:

“These are the words which I spoke to you… that all things must be fulfilled which were written in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms concerning Me.” (Luke 24:44, NKJV)

From His birth to His death, resurrection, and ascension, Jesus fulfills Scripture precisely—not symbolically, not spiritually redefined, but historically and prophetically.

No false christ controls:

• birthplace
• lineage
• timing
• manner of death
• resurrection

Only God does.

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Jesus Christ Alone Deals with Sin

False christs promise reform, peace, enlightenment, or power.
Only Jesus removes sin.

John the Baptist identifies Him correctly:

“Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!” (John 1:29, NKJV)

Sin is not healed by effort, law, ritual, or knowledge. It requires blood.

“Without shedding of blood there is no remission.” (Hebrews 9:22, NKJV)

Jesus’ sacrifice was:

• voluntary
• substitutionary
• once for all

“By one offering He has perfected forever those who are being sanctified.” (Hebrews 10:14, NKJV)

No false christ dies for sinners and rises victorious.

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Jesus Christ Is Alive — Forever

Every false christ ends in a grave.
Jesus Christ walked out of His.

“I am He who lives, and was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore.” (Revelation 1:18, NKJV)

The resurrection is not a doctrine—it is the dividing line.

Paul is blunt:

“If Christ is not risen, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins.” (1 Corinthians 15:17, NKJV)

Christianity stands or falls on the bodily resurrection of Jesus Christ—and Scripture testifies that He rose.

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Jesus Christ Will Return Openly and Universally

False christs operate in secrecy, deception, and localized movements.

Jesus said His return will be unmistakable:

“For as the lightning comes from the east and flashes to the west, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be.” (Matthew 24:27, NKJV)

And when He comes, He comes as King and Judge:

“Faithful and True… and in righteousness He judges and makes war.” (Revelation 19:11, NKJV)

No imposter survives that moment.

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Ante-Nicene Witness

The earliest believers did not debate whether Jesus was God—they died because they confessed Him as such.

• Ignatius of Antioch called Jesus “our God” and warned against false teachers who denied His flesh.
• Irenaeus exposed heresies by appealing to Scripture and apostolic testimony.
• Polycarp, a disciple of John, refused to deny Christ, saying:
  “Eighty and six years have I served Him, and He has done me no wrong.”

They trusted this Jesus—not a philosophical idea, not a political savior, but the crucified and risen Lord.

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Why This Matters Before We Go Further

If we do not anchor ourselves in who Jesus is, then:

• the Church becomes an institution
• the Holy Spirit becomes a force
• the Bride becomes symbolism

But when Christ is rightly known, everything else falls into place.

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