Who Am I?Sample

Identity of Jesus

Do you know what Jesus’ identity was while He lived on earth?

“Jesus, too, needed an identity?” You might ask. The intriguing truth is, yes! The Scriptures reveal how deeply Jesus valued His identity. In fact, His entire life on earth revolved around it.

Romans 1:1-4 highlights the two facets of Jesus’ identity: as the 'seed of David' and the 'Son of God.' The 'seed of David' denotes His earthly, physical identity, while the 'Son of God' represents His divine, spiritual identity. Can you guess which of these two identities Jesus favored more?

When Jesus was merely 12 years old, He asked Mary, His earthly mother, “Why were you searching for me? Didn’t you know I had to be in my Father’s house?” (Luke 2:49)

Even as a little boy, Jesus prioritized His spiritual identity far more than the identity that came by flesh. He emphasizes that His divine mission takes precedence over His earthly family.

When He was baptized at the age of 30, a Voice from above said, ‘This is My Beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.’ This declaration further affirmed His identity.

Many passages throughout the Gospels show that during His ministry on earth, Jesus enunciated His identity by speaking of His heavenly Father. Matthew 12:50, 16:17, 18:19, 20:23, 24:36, Luke 10:22, 22:29, 24:49, John 5:17, and many passages show Him saying, 'My Father.' By frequently referring to His Heavenly Father, Jesus was able to consistently live in alignment with that identity, which was the key to His fruitful life and the success of His ministry.

We also see another significant moment in Matthew 16 when Jesus asks His disciples, 'Who do people say I am?' They promptly share the public opinions circulating at the time: John the Baptist, Elijah, Jeremiah, or one of the prophets. Seeing that the public did not correctly identify Him, Jesus turned the question to His disciples: 'But who do you say that I am?' Peter answered, 'You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.' Noting that Peter had rightly identified Him, Jesus commended Peter, saying, 'Blessed are you.' He then added, 'For flesh and blood have not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven.'

Here’s an important point to consider: Just as God the Father revealed Jesus’s identity to Peter, the revelation about our own identity must also come from Him. It is impossible to discover it through our own efforts.

The great news is that God has already revealed our true identity through His Word. The sad news, however, is that rather than focusing on what His Word says, we often base our identity on worldly factors like who our parents are, our IQ, education, and occupation, and we end up living unfulfilled lives. Just like Jesus, we must embrace the correct identity to live out our full potential.

Challenge Question:

Can you, with clarity, tell the difference between your earthly and spiritual identities? Who are you through your biological birth, and who are you through your spiritual birth?