The very foundation of Christianity lies in the answer to this question. And yet, for many, it remains a mystery. Jesus himself stated, “No one knows the Son except the Father. Nor does anyone know the Father except the Son, and the one to whom the Son wills to reveal Him.” (Mat 11.27)

We must begin this search by looking at several scriptures and understanding the timeline in which the Bible was written. In addition, we must understand that the scriptures cannot be broken, as written in John 10:35. They must either fulfill each other or have yet to be fulfilled.

The first three Gospels (Matt, Mark, Luke) are fairly harmonious, while John’s Gospel gives us a slightly different account. Matt 24, Mark 13 and Luke 17 & 21 each talk about end time events, while John’s Gospel doesn’t because he was given the Revelation of Jesus Christ. All of John’s books were written last and provide additional insight to comprehend the mysteries of God.

In the beginning of John’s Gospel at verse 1, we read, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made.”

Continuing at verse 14, we read, “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.”

This last phrase is the key to understanding who Jesus was. We beheld God’s glory as the only son of the Father, full of grace and truth. In other words, we saw God, not as God, but as his son.

The above statements need to be understood together. Now let’s go back to verse 10, John says, “He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him. He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him.” You see, God, as Jesus, came as Savior to the Jews, and they did not know him or receive him.

Grasping this concept will help us to understand why no one was ever baptized into any name other than Jesus in the book of Acts. Jesus gave the great commission in Matthew 28:19 stating, “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.” Name is a singular word, not plural or more than one.

Jesus, in Luke 24:46, said, “Thus it is written, and thus it was necessary for the Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead the third day, and that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in His name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.”

We can read the account of every baptism from Acts 2:38, 8:16 and 19:5. ALL baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. If the scriptures cannot be broken, which the Word states, these scriptures MUST fulfill each other. Baptizing in Jesus’ name is fulfilling his commission to baptize in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.

Let’s examine a few other scriptures that reveal Jesus’ true identity

In Matthew 1: 23, we read, “Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel,” which is translated, “God with us.”

In Matthew 23:37, Jesus says, “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the one who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing!”

Now at this point, Jesus would have been roughly 30 years of age. When did he try to gather the Jews together in those 30 years? He’s speaking as God here. Interesting, isn’t it?

In 1st Timothy, we read, “And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifested in the flesh, Justified in the Spirit, Seen by angels, Preached among the Gentiles, Believed on in the world, Received up in glory.”

There are countless references similar to these if you look hard for them. That’s why the scripture says, “the Spirit searches the deep things of God.” We have to begin our journey reading through the Bible and asking God to reveal his teachings to us. The Spirit will guide us to all truth — no one else. If you’re ready to start reading the Bible, start with the Gospel of John.

My favorite verses on this topic are in John, chapter 14, starting at verse 7. While Jesus is speaking privately to his disciples we read the following:

“If you had known Me, you would have known My Father also; and from now on you know Him and have seen Him.” Philip said to Him, “Lord, show us the Father, and it is sufficient for us.” Jesus said to him, “Have I been with you so long, and yet you have not known Me, Philip? He who has seen Me has seen the Father; so how can you say, ‘Show us the Father’?”

It’s best we break this down into sections: First, Jesus says, “If you had known Me you would have known My Father.” Continuing, he says, “From now on you know him and have SEEN him!” Then, Phillip not understanding as most of us would, says, “Okay Lord, show us the Father and that will be enough.” Finally, Jesus says plainly, “Have I not been with you for months now performing countless miracles and you still don’t know me? He who has SEEN ME has SEEN the FATHER!”

You see, the name, “Jesus,” carries so much power because it IS God’s name. In Act 4:12, we read, “There is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.”

This should give us better understanding of what our Lord, the God who created the heavens and the earth, has done for us when he took the punishment of our sins on the cross. He felt pain as we feel it. He was brutally beaten and reviled having never committed any sin. All, so that we may have hope in eternal life, having to live no longer in fear of death.

If you haven’t repented of your sins and been baptized in Jesus’ name, doing so is a recommended first step towards receiving the Spirit of God. For a complete guide on salvation, based on scriptural teachings, please click below and read our Beliefs page. To study with our ministry, please join our mailing list for times and availability.

May the God of all grace bless you with peace, understanding, and love without measure.