Who is Jesus? Part 2

Who Is Jesus Overview

In this powerful continuation of his series, Dr. William Holman of New Testament Church (NTC Ministries) explores the identity of Jesus Christ with depth, pastoral warmth, and biblical clarity. Drawing from John 1:1-5, Genesis 1-2, and Romans 5:12, Dr. Holman begins at the foundation: Jesus is the eternal Word, present at creation, through whom all things were made. Far from an abstract theological concept, this truth has immediate personal weight. Every human being, Dr. Holman explains, was fashioned by Jesus himself, who knelt in the dirt and breathed life into the first man. That act of divine condescension sets the tone for everything that follows. Jesus is Emmanuel, God with us, not God above us or distant from us. He came not to impose a culture or condemn, but to dwell alongside broken humanity. Drawing on the story of Peter’s restoration, the fall of Adam and Eve, and vivid illustrations from missionary work in Uganda and Egypt, Dr. Holman challenges listeners to open their lives to the Word that creates, heals, and transforms. The message calls believers to move beyond pride, self-limitation, and spiritual stagnation into the abundant life Christ purchased through his unmatched humility.

Who Is Jesus Outline

• 0:00:00 – Worship and Offering Time: The congregation opens in extended worship, celebrating the name of Jesus, followed by a pastoral exhortation on faithful tithing and giving as an expression of commitment to God rather than a mere tip.
• 0:22:00 – Church Announcements and Vision: Dr. Holman shares upcoming church events including a guest speaker service with Dr. Carol Elaine, the Fall Extravaganza Vendors Expo, and updates on the His Hands Extended Food Pantry ministry.
• 0:32:00 – Introducing the Series: Who Is Jesus Part 2: Dr. Holman reintroduces the series with the concept of bending over backwards, framing the entire message around how Jesus repeatedly humbled himself for humanity without ever pulling back.
• 0:38:00 – Jesus the Eternal Word and Creator: Using John 1:1-5 and Genesis 1, the pastor establishes that Jesus is the Word who existed before creation and through whom everything visible and invisible was made, including the intricate detail of nature.
• 0:52:00 – The Crown of Creation and the Fall: Genesis 1:26-27 is unpacked to show that humanity is the masterpiece of creation, made in God’s image with dominion. The entry of sin through Adam is examined as a failure of authority and trust.
• 1:04:00 – Emmanuel: God With Us, Not Above Us: Dr. Holman draws from Matthew 1:23 and John 1:14 to contrast false religion with the incarnation. Jesus came as God with us, entering corruption he never caused, to reveal glory full of grace and truth.
• 1:13:00 – Peter’s Restoration and the Call to Accept Truth: The story of Peter’s denial and Jesus’s seaside restoration is used to illustrate how God works with each person individually, calling them from pride and avoidance into full obedience.
• 1:22:00 – John 3:16 and the Welcome Mat of Heaven: Dr. Holman unpacks John 3:16-17 as the welcome mat of heaven, emphasizing that Jesus came not to condemn but to save, inviting all who believe into life and life more abundantly.
• 1:30:00 – The Woman Caught in Adultery: The message closes with Jesus confronting the scribes and Pharisees over the woman taken in adultery, showing that Christ’s response is always one of grace and truth rather than condemnation.

Scripture References

John 1:1-5, John 1:14, Genesis 1:1-5, Genesis 1:6, Genesis 1:9, Genesis 1:11, Genesis 1:14, Genesis 1:24, Genesis 1:26-27, Genesis 1:31, Genesis 2:7, Romans 5:12, Matthew 1:23, John 3:16-17, Hebrews 1:1, 2 Peter 3:9

Key Takeaways

• Jesus is the eternal Word who was present before creation and through whom all things, from the smallest seed to the human body, were made and are sustained.
• Every human being is the masterpiece of God’s creation, fashioned in his image and likeness, and the only force that can unlock our full potential is Jesus Christ himself.
• The incarnation of Christ reveals a God who does not stand above humanity in condemnation but humbles himself to be with us in the middle of our corruption and brokenness.
• Pride manifests in two directions: magnifying our weaknesses as an excuse to avoid God, and elevating our flaws as greater than his grace, and both must be surrendered to Christ.
• Just as Jesus never did a miracle for his own comfort, he came entirely for others, modeling a servant humility that calls every believer to lay down self-interest for the purposes of God.
• The Word of God is creative and alive; allowing it to speak into your life produces transformation, growth, and the fulfillment of God’s promises just as it produced light in the darkness of Genesis.
• God’s desire is that none should perish, and John 3:16 is the open welcome mat of heaven, an unconditional invitation to anyone who will believe and receive the life Jesus purchased.

Who Is Jesus Notes

Jesus the Word Who Bends Down

Dr. Holman builds the entire message on a single arresting image: Jesus bending over backwards for humanity. Before humanity had breath, voice, or eyes to see, the eternal Word knelt in the dirt of Genesis 2:7 and hand-fashioned a body, then breathed life into it. This was not a reluctant act but a deliberate, loving condescension from infinite glory into dust. The same Jesus who flung stars into place chose to kneel. That posture of humility is not a one-time event but a pattern that runs through the entire life of Christ, from the stable in Bethlehem to the cross of Calvary.

How Sin Distorts Our Self-Perception

One of the sermon’s sharpest insights is that sin does not merely make us do wrong things; it distorts how we see ourselves. Dr. Holman argues that the fall of Adam and Eve introduced a corruption that causes people to magnify their flaws, doubt their God-given identity, and refuse to take their rightful place of dominion. Rather than seeing themselves as the pinnacle of God’s creation made in his image, people look in the mirror and see only weakness and failure. This inverted pride, calling our weakness stronger than God’s strength, is itself a form of unbelief that keeps us from fulfilling our purpose.

Emmanuel: A Theology of Divine Presence

Drawing on Matthew 1:23 and John 1:14, Dr. Holman emphasizes that the name Emmanuel changes everything about how we relate to God. Jesus did not arrive as a distant deity issuing commands from above; he came to dwell among us, entering the full reality of corrupted human existence without sin. This means God is present with the good, the bad, and the ugly. He is not only with polished believers but with everyone. The challenge the sermon issues is whether we will open ourselves to that presence, allowing his word to speak into us and create something new the way he spoke light into darkness.

Peter’s Story and the Path to Obedience

The restoration of Peter after his threefold denial serves as a pastoral illustration of how God works with stubborn, frightened, and proud hearts. Jesus pursues Peter with a fire on the shore, a meal, and three pointed questions. Yet even in that tender moment of restoration, Peter deflects by pointing at John and asking, what about him? Dr. Holman uses this to show that God deals with each person individually and will keep bringing us to the same crossroads until we stop deflecting and start receiving. Peter eventually gave his life upside down on a cross, proof that God’s patient pursuit produces total obedience in those who yield.

The Welcome Mat of John 3:16

Dr. Holman closes the doctrinal heart of the sermon with a warm and accessible reading of John 3:16-17. He reframes these familiar verses as the welcome mat of heaven, noting that the word welcome means it is well, suggesting that what awaits inside is peace, health, love, and wholeness. The word whosoever is deliberately inclusive, leaving no one outside its reach. Jesus did not come to condemn but to save, and every person who hears this message is invited to step across that threshold. The abundant life he offers is not merely freedom from corruption but entry into something humanity has never fully comprehended.

The Word Creates in Your Life Today

A practical thread woven throughout the sermon is that the same creative power Jesus used to form the universe is available to every believer through the Word of God. Dr. Holman urges listeners to open their Bibles because what God says will be created in them. Just as he spoke and light appeared, his word spoken into an open heart produces transformation, maturity, and the fulfillment of his promises. This is why consistent exposure to scripture matters not as a religious duty but as an act of creation. Even one small crack of openness, the pastor says, is enough for God to begin his work in a life.

Frequently Asked Questions