Foundations · lessons 2
Who is Jesus?
The encounter that changes everything
First, a scene
Imagine someone reaches out to you at the end of a hard day — one of those days when everything feels heavy — and looks you in the eye and says: 'I came here for you. I know what you are going through, and I have an answer that changes everything.' Would you listen? Probably yes — depending on who they are. The question of this study is similar: there is someone who has been saying exactly that to all of humanity for over two thousand years. His name is Jesus. Before any doctrine, before any rule, what we need to understand first is: who is this Jesus?
The question 'Who is Jesus?' has crossed centuries. It was asked by the disciples when they saw Him calm a storm at sea. It was asked by the religious leaders when He forgave sins with the authority of God. It was asked by Pilate just before the cross. And it is still being asked today — at dinner tables, in books, in films, on social media.
The Bible answers directly: Jesus is the Son of God who became man to save humanity. He is not just a great teacher, not just a moral example, not just a religious leader. He is God incarnate, who came in person to us.
This opening of John's gospel introduces Jesus as 'the Word' — in Greek, Logos. It is not just a poetic title: it is a declaration that Jesus exists from before time, is God himself in person, and that everything that exists came into being through Him.
Why is Jesus called 'the Word'? Show
The Greek term Logos carried enormous weight in the ancient world. For Greek philosophers, it was the 'organizing reason' of the universe. For the Jews, it recalled the way God created the world in Genesis: 'And God said...' — by His word, everything came to be.
When John begins his gospel saying that Jesus is 'the Word', he is saying two things at once: to the Greek reader, 'what you are looking for, is Jesus'; and to the Jewish reader, 'God's creative Word has a name, and it is Jesus'.
Three central truths about Jesus that the Bible affirms without hesitation:
First: He is God. Not 'similar to God', not merely 'sent by God' — He is God incarnate.
Second: He is human. He felt hunger, grew tired, wept, was tempted in all things as we are. He did not pretend to be human — He was fully human.
Third: He came with a purpose. He did not come only to teach good things. He came to die in our place and open the way to God.
“The foundation and the greatest strategy of discipleship is learning to love our neighbor as Christ loves us.”
Pause and reflect
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1
Before starting this study, who was Jesus to you?
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2
What question about Jesus would you like to see answered through this course?
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3
Is there anything in the statements above that surprises you or raises doubts?
For this week
Read the gospel of John, chapter 1, in one sitting (it is only 51 verses). In your notebook, write down three things you learned about Jesus and one question that remains. Bring that question to the next meeting of your Small Group.
To close
“Father, open my eyes that I may truly know your Son. Do not let me settle for knowing about Jesus — I want to truly know Him. Let every study be an encounter, and not merely a reading. In the name of Jesus, amen.”
For the discipler
Objective
Present Jesus as a real, divine, and accessible person, dissolving the idea that He is merely a historical figure or religious character.
Difficult questions
- How can Jesus be both God and man? Use the analogy of water in three states — ice, liquid, vapor — knowing every analogy is limited. The essential point: the Bible affirms both natures, and we accept by faith.
- What about those who never heard of Jesus? Romans 1 speaks of general revelation through creation. Romans 2 speaks of conscience. The just Judge will judge each one according to the light received — but our mission is to bring more light.
- Why do other religions exist? Because the human heart seeks God (Ecclesiastes 3:11), but without revelation, builds partial images. Jesus is the complete revelation.
Practical tips
- Don't try to answer every question in this first lesson. The goal is to open the appetite, not to satisfy it.
- If the disciple knows nothing of the Bible, open it together and show them how to find John 1.
- Ask more than you teach. The person needs to think, not just receive information.
- If there is a non-Christian visitor, adjust the tone — avoid jargon and be extra welcoming.
Extra material
- Video: Who is Jesus? — Bible Project
- Leitura: Mere Christianity, chapter 'The Shocking Alternative' — C.S. Lewis