Witnessing to Jehovah's Witness: Identity of Jesus

The saving message of The Gospel centers around the person and work of Jesus.  Any corruption of the person and work of Jesus changes the gospel to something else.  Faith in a lie does not lead anyone to salvation.  Addressing the identity of Jesus and then understanding the truth of what he did is critical.  Specifically Jehovah's Witness' have faith in a distorted belief in who Jesus is and thus it has lead to an entirely corrupted theology.  To be able to address the problems we first need to know where they get their information from and where it went wrong. 

True Christianity is defined by scripture.  As scripture interprets scripture.  The reformed principle "Scripture Alone" explains how scripture is the only necessary authoritative document to know the truths of God.

Jehovah's Witness' interpret scripture through the guidance of the Watchtower Society.  It is through their pronouncements that define how scripture should be understood.  It is through them, the identity of Jesus is defined.

According to Jehovah's Witness, Jesus is no one other than Michael the Archangel; a created high ranking angel (The Watchtower, February 15, 1979, p. 31).  In their own published bible translation called The New World Translation we see that Michael is described in only 5 verses. 

1. One of the foremost princes (Dan. 10:13);
2. Is the prince of Daniels people (Dan. 10:21);
3. The great prince of Daniels people (Dan. 12:1);
4. The archangel who "had a difference with the devil and was disputing about Moses body" but "did not dare to bring a judgment against him in abusive terms" (Jude 9);
5. 5) Michael and his angels battled with the dragon. (Rev. 12:7).

We see a fundamental problem;  none of these verses say it was Jesus.  Another problem we see is that none of these say that Michael is not a different created being a part from Jesus.  Lastly we also see that Michael has to battle with the dragon and does not dare being judgment against Satan.  This only shows that Michael is not a final authority and is not all powerful.

The key verse that the Watchtower Society stress that ties "the Lord" to "the archangel" is 1 Thessalonians 4:16.  At first glance it is easy to make the assumption they make.  But when we let scripture interpret itself we can see the expressions used.  First we need to understand what the verse is NOT saying.   It is NOT saying that the Lord IS the archangel.  The subject is not the Lord but the announcement of the coming of the Lord.  The Lord will come and announce his return just like the archangel would make God's proclamations.  It does not say they are the same person.  It does say that The Lord will do it like how the archangel has done it.  But now that God himself is returning, he doesn't need the archangel to do it; he will do it.  Scripture is stating that Jesus will make his return announcement in such a way that everyone on earth, even the dead, will hear it and know who is coming.

Scripture does not teach that Jesus is Michael; the Watchtower Society does.

So if Jesus is not Michael and the Watchtower Society has made their own assumptions incorrectly about the identity of Jesus: Who is Jesus according to scripture alone?

Hebrews 1:1-15 we see that the Son is not only above all the angels but that the angles worship him like God (Hebrews 1:6) and serve him (Hebrews 1:7).  He is eternal (Hebrews 1:2,11-12) and He alone has God's authority, and specifically NOT an angel (Hebrews 1:13).  He has God's own glory, exact representation of God and has all God's power (Hebrews 1:3-4).  It is clear that Jesus is not any kind of angel because scripture clearly puts him above all angels. 

So if He is not created but eternal, looks like God, acts like God, has God's authority, glory, and power in the form of a man; than who is he?

John chapter 1 in the light of Hebrews chapter 1 answers who Jesus is without any secondary outside man made sources like the Watchtower Society.  Also read the article of the identity of Jesus