Who is the real Jesus?

 Read Hebrews 1.

Some have called Him a good man.  Some have referred to Him as an example who went about doing good things.  Most admit he was an historical person.  Some claim He was an angel in heaven, a created being.  Some say He was God in the flesh.  Others say He was just a man.  Some have called Him the prophesied Messiah.  Others have rejected Him.  Some have placed their eternal faith in Him and seen their lives radically changed as a result.

So, when a person states they believe in Jesus, it is appropriate to ask what they believe about Him and on what do they base their belief.  Many religious groups will say they believe the Bible, yet their view of Jesus contradicts what is written in the Scriptures.  A quick read of just three chapters in the New Testament clearly defines the Biblical Jesus: John 1, Colossians 1, and Hebrews 1.

In verses 2-4 of this chapter of Hebrews, we are given eight characteristics of the Lord Jesus Christ.
1. He is the heir of all things.
Not only is Jesus the heir, but the Apostle Paul wrote that those who place their faith in Him become "fellow heirs with Christ" (Romans 8:17).
2. He is the Creator.
"For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities--all things were created through him and for him." (Colossians 1:16)  Therefore, any contrary view of origins is a direct attack on who Jesus is.
3. He is the radiance of the glory of God.
"And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth." (John 1:14)
4. He is the exact imprint of the nature of God.
Exact, not a reasonable facsimile or one of many.  "For in him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily." (Colossians 2:9)
5. He is the upholder of the universe by the word of his power.
"And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together." (Colossians 1:17)  Just as He spoke the creation into existence, in His sovereign control He sustains it in the same way.
6. He is the purifier of sins.
"...in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins." (Colossians 1:14)
"...he appeared once for all at the end of the ages to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself." (Hebrews 9:26b)
7. He sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high.
When Christ cried out on the cross, "It is finished", there remained no need for any further sacrifices.  The work of atonement was done.  Romans 8:34 states that Jesus is there now "interceding for us".   "...who is gone into heaven and is at the right hand of God, with angels, authorities, and powers having been subjected to him." (1 Peter 3:22)
8. He is superior to the angels.
Angels are special and separate beings Jesus created.  "Let all God's angels worship him." (v.6)  And, perhaps, the strongest statement of all comes from the Father concerning Jesus, the Son.  Verse 8 is a quote from Psalm 45:6-7.  Here, in Scripture, both Old and New Testaments, Jesus is directly called God.

"So that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father." (Philippians 2:10-11)