3: Diagram Comparing Jesus and Christians

Only Jesus

Jesus and Christians

Only Christians

1. Only Jesus has the unique role as Chief Shepherd, Redeemer, King of Kings, Lord of Lords, the First and the last, and Savior of the world.

2.     Jesus died for the sins of the world in complete obedience to God as the world’s mediator and is the Lamb of God (Romans 5:15-17, 1 Timothy 2:5).

1.     Jesus is not a spirit (Luke 24:38-43) and is a human (Acts 2:22, John 8:40) like Christians.

2.         Jesus was tempted (Matthew 4:1-11, Luke 4:1-13, Hebrews 2:17-18) as Christians are.

3.      Jesus does not know everything. For example, he does not know when he is coming back (Matthew 24:26). Christians also do not know everything.

4.      Jesus worships God and considers himself a worshipper (John 4:21-24) with all who worship the God of the Bible.

5.      Jesus changed. He learned obedience through what he suffered and was made perfect (Hebrews 5:8-9). He increased in wisdom and in stature and in favor with God and man (Luke 2:52). This is also true of Christians.

6.      Jesus needed to be made perfect (Hebrews 5:8-9). This is also true of Christians.

7.      Jesus is in the service of God (Hebrews 2:17-18) like Christians.

8.         Jesus, just like every Christian, needed to be anointed by God to do the works that he did, and he was able to do this specifically because God was with him (Luke 4:18-19, Acts 10:38-43). The Trinity Doctrine states that Jesus was co-eternal and one with the Holy Spirit, so why would he need to be anointed with the Holy Spirit if he was already one with that Spirit? Jesus can do nothing of his own accord but needs the Father (John 5:19) and the Father who dwells in Jesus does Jesus’ works (John 14:10-11).

9.      Jesus, like all Christians, is a created being. For example, he is the “beginning of God’s creation” (Revelation 3:14). The beginning of something is necessarily part of it. For example, the beginning of a field is part of that field. Jesus must be a part of God’s creation. He is also the “firstborn” of all creation (Colossians 1:15). While this could and has been interpreted differently, one meaning is that Jesus is literally the firstborn of God’s creation and that he had a beginning.

11.  Jesus fears God like Christians, as he is anointed with the Spirit of the fear of the Lord (Isaiah 11:1-5).

 12. Jesus’s Savior is God. He needed God to save him from death (Hebrews 5:7), and God is the Savior of all people (1 Timothy 4:10). God used Jesus to save Christians, but their ultimate source of salvation is God.

13.  Jesus, like Christians, has a God – God the Father, and this God is the same God that his followers have (John 20:17, Ephesians 4:4-6, Matthew 27:46, Revelation 3:12, Revelation 1:5-6, Micah 5:4, John 17:3, John 5:44-45). Jesus calls his God the “only God” (John 17:3, John 5:44). Jesus is never called the “only God”.

14.  Jesus is the “image of the invisible God” (Colossians 1:15) and is visible. Further, an image of something is not that thing. While this is not true yet, all believers will be conformed to the image of Christ.

15.  Jesus’ will is distinct from the Father’s will (Luke 22:42), and nothing in Scripture states, most notably Jesus himself, that Jesus has two wills, one human and one divine. Christians also have wills distinct from the Father.

16.  Christ, with his followers, is an heir of God. How can he inherit himself, if he is God (Romans 8:17)? It is nonsensical that he would inherit himself or that he would inherit the Father as, according to the Trinity doctrine, they are one.

17.  The Father is greater than Jesus (John 14:28) and all Christians.

18.  Jesus belongs to God (1 Corinthians 3:23) along with all other Christians and everything.

19.  Christians and Jesus will judge together. (1 Corinthians 6:2-3)

20.  Both Jesus and Christians were granted life by God (John 5:16-32).

21.  Jesus is not omnipresent. He is one place at one time just like all Christians.

22.  Both Jesus and Christians are needed and necessary for God’s kingdom to come on earth. We work together as a body with Christ as our head.

23.  Jesus and Christians are equal and like each other (1 John 3:2-3) – explained in detail above.

24.  Jesus and Christians will reign together (Revelation 22:5).

25.  Jesus and Christians are both priests (Revelation 20:6).

26.  Jesus and Christians are children of God (Romans 8:16-17).

27.  Jesus and Christians will share the same glory (2 Thessalonians 2:14).

28.  Jesus and Christians are one: one Body together to glorify God (1 Corinthians 12:12-27). All parts need each other. To follow that analogy, would not the head (Christ) also need his body? Therefore, Christ and believers need each other.

29.    Both Christians and Jesus are resurrected (2 Corinthians 4:14).

30.  Both Christians and Jesus do amazing works. Jesus even said that his followers would do greater works than him (John 14:12), so they are equal to Christ in power in this way.

31.  Christians are also anointed with the Holy Spirit and are/will be filled with the Holy Spirit completely, so Christians will be equally filled with God and like Christ in this sense (John 14:26 – add more Colossians 2, etc., Colossians 2:9-10, Ephesians 3:19)

32.  Jesus and Christians both have a close and personal relationship with God (Ephesians 3:13-15).

33.  Jesus and Christians will have the same maturity (Ephesians 4:13).

34.  Jesus and Christians have the same source: God (Hebrews 2:10-11).

35.  Jesus and Christians will both be perfect (James 1:2-4).

36.  Jesus and Christians will both be sinless, partakers of the divine nature (2 Peter 1:4).

37.  Jesus and Christians will both sit on the same throne (Revelation 3:21).

38.  Jesus and Christians both sinned (Jesus in his past lives as Adam and David).

39.  Jesus and Christians are siblings. He is our brother.

1. Christians are subordinate to Christ in role. Christians serve Christ as their Lord and King.

2. Jesus saved all Christians.

40. Jesus is also saved by grace like all Christians (see my post "Jesus: Saved by Grace").