Who is Jesus?

The most important question anyone must ever answer is, "Who is Jesus?"   This was the question facing Peter in Matthew 16 when Jesus asked him in verse 15, "who do you say I am?"  Peter correctly answered, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God."  Not only was Jesus of Nazareth the only begotten Son of the Father, He is also the only One who could provide for reconciliation between fallen mankind and God.  Jesus was born of the virgin Mary and lived a perfect life apart from sin thus making Him an able substitute for the propitiation of our sins.  In what Martin Luther termed "The Great Exchange" we are now able to switch positions with Jesus in the sight of God through His atoning work and sacrifice on the Cross of Calvary and ensuing resurrection.  Paul explains this exchange of places with us in 2 Corinthians 5:21 when he says, "For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God."  Because of Jesus' atoning work we are empowered by the Holy Spirit to be spiritually reborn of God.  Paul again explains this in Romans 6:4-5 when he says, "We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life.  For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his."