Jesus – One of a Kind (Unique)
“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life” (John 3: 16). The apostle John uses the expression only begotten Son to refer to Jesus, four times in the gospel, and once in his first epistle. “In this the love of God was manifested toward us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him” (1 John 4:9). The Greek word translated only begotten son is used one other time in the New Testament, in Hebrews where it speaks of Abraham who “offered up his only begotten son” (Hebrews 11:17). There is a prophetical uniqueness with respect to Isaac “of whom it was said ‘In Isaac your seed shall be called,’” (Hebrews 11:18), which foreshadows the uniqueness of our Lord.
Like no other, uniqueness belongs to Christ. Of all who lived upon the earth, it is only Jesus in in whom dwelt “all the fulness of the Godhead bodily” (Colossians 2:9).
Jesus is TRUE GOD,
“This is the true God and eternal life” (1 John 5:20).
“But to the Son He says: ‘Your throne, O God, is forever and ever. . .’” (Hebrews 1:8).
“ . . . Looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ . . .” (Titus 2:13).
“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God” (John 1:1).
“’Behold the virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel’ which is being translated, ‘God with us.’” (Matthew 1:23).
But also, TRUE MAN:
“For unto us a child is born . . . (Isaiah 9:6). See also Matthew 1:23.
“And she brought forth her firstborn Son, and wrapped Him in swaddling clothes, and laid Him in a manger. . .” (Luke 2:7).
“And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us . . .” (John 1:14).
“For there is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus” (1 Timothy 2:5).
Jesus is true God and true Man, “Not by confusion of Substance, but by unity of Person,” one Christ (Athanasian Creed).
Unique.
Jesus lived IN TIME,
“Is not this Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know. . . (John 6:42)?
But was and is ETERNAL.
“I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End, the First and the Last” (Revelation 22:13)
Unique.
Jesus was INNOCENT, without sin,
To Mary: “The Holy Spirit will come upon you and the power of the Highest will overshadow you; therefore also, that Holy One who is to be born will be called the Son of God” (Luke 1:35).
“And you know that He was manifested to take away our sins, and in Him is no sin” (1 John 3:5).
“ . . . Because He had done no violence, nor was any deceit in His mouth” (Isaiah 53:9).
Pilate: “Behold, I am bringing Him out to you, that you may know that I find no fault in Him” (John 19:4).
“Certainly this was a righteous Man” (Luke 23:47)!
But died as a SINNER.
“And the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all” (Isaiah 53: 6).
“For He made Him Who knew no sin to be sin for us . . .” (2 Corinthians 5:21).
“For the transgressions of My people He was stricken” (Isaiah 53:8).
“He Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree . . .” (1 Peter2:24).
Jesus was our Substitute. He bore our sins and paid the price we deserved, death and forsakenness of God.
Unique.
Jesus is the SHEPHERD,
“The Lord is my Shepherd; I shall not want” (Psalm 23).
“I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd gives His life for the sheep” (John 10:11).
“Now the God of peace, who brought up from the dead the great Shepherd of the sheep through the blood of the eternal covenant, even Jesus our Lord . . . (Hebrews 13:20).
Crowns For God’s PeopleSelf DisciplineCrowns Of ChristiansHeaven, Redeemed CommunityShepherds, As Church Leadereternal life, nature ofBemaPeter, Preacher And TeacherNames And Titles For ChristAthletics
GlorificationPrizesChrist, Names ForHeavenly RewardsReward, For God’s PeopleFutureNo DecayLast ThingsChrist, The Shepherd
“And when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that does not fade away” (1 Peter 5:4).
But also the LAMB.
“Behold, the Lamb of God” (John 1:36)!
“Worthy is the Lamb Who was slain . . .” (Revelation 5:12)
Christ Jesus the Shepherd who watches over the sheep of the Father’s flock, was at the same time the Lamb Who sacrificed Himself for the straying sheep.
Unique.
Jesus is the HIGH PRIEST,
“You are a priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek” (Hebrews 7:17).
“For such a High Priest was fitting for us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and has become higher than the heavens; who does not need daily, as those high priests, to offer up sacrifices, first for His own sins and then for the people’s, for this He did once for all when He offered up Himself” (Hebrews 7:26-27).
“And every priest stands ministering daily and offering repeatedly the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins. But this Man, after He had offered one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down at the right hand of God, from that time waiting till His enemies are made His footstool” (Hebrews 10:11-12).
But also, the SACRIFICE for sin.
“For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many” (Mark 10:45).
“But God demonstrates His own love for us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8).
“But this Man [Jesus], after He had offered one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down at the right hand of God” (Hebrews 10:14).
Jesus was both High Priest Who offered the sacrifice and was the sacrifice, thus a better High Priest than those before Him. There is no more sacrifice for sin, but He continues His priestly role as our Advocate who pleads our cause before the Father.
Unique.
Jesus is the JUDGE,
“I charge you therefore before God and the Lord Jesus Christ, Who will judge the living and the dead at His appearing and His kingdom . . .” (2 Timothy 4:1).
“For the Father judges no one, but has committed all judgment to the Son . . .and has given Him authority to execute judgment also, because He is the Son of Man” (John 5:22,27).
But is foremost the SAVIOR.
“. . .and you shall call His name JESUS, for He will save His people from their sins” (Matthew 1:21).
“And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent the Son as Savior of the world” (1 John 4:14).
“And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. And He Himself is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the whole world” (1 John 2:1-2).
“For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life” (Romans 5:10).
“For whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved” (Joel 2:32, Romans 10:13).
When the Lord Jesus returns to judge the world, the verdict upon those who rejected Him shall be everlasting condemnation. His verdict upon those who believed in Him, called upon His name, and trusted in Him for salvation shall be eternal life. To the latter He shall say, “Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world” (Matthew 25:34).
Of God the Father’s only begotten Son we conclude: “As there is none like You, O Lord (You are great, and Your name is great in might), Who would not fear You, O King of the nations? For this is Your rightful due.
For among all the wise men of the nations, and in all their kingdoms,
There is none like You” (Jeremiah 10:6-7).
Of our unique Lord, the only begotten Son of the Father, full of grace and truth, we confess: “Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved” (Acts 4:12).
Unique! Thanks be to God.