Who Is Jesus Christ?

More than 2,000 years ago, God did an amazing thing. He sent His Son down to earth from heaven and became a human being in the person of Jesus Christ. Jesus traveled throughout the region of Nazareth in northern Israel, where He gained a large following. After a few years, the religious leaders in Jerusalem falsely accused Him and handed Him over to the Roman authorities, who crucified Him.

Soon afterward, His followers continued preaching and teaching about Jesus Christ, whom they said rose from the dead. Over the next 20 centuries, more and more followers were added to this movement, which became today’s Christian Church.

But there is so much more to know about Jesus: where He came from, what He did before He came, what He did on earth, and what He can do for us now. The Bible records the prophecies of His coming, His arrival, His teachings and deeds, His crucifixion and resurrection, and the future of mankind.

The central question of Christianity, and of history itself, is: Who is Jesus Christ? The Bible makes it clear that, whether we recognize Him now or not, we will all one day stand before God and answer that question.

That is the good news, or gospel: God sent His Son to die for our sins so that we could be forgiven and go to be with the Lord in heaven. Jesus came to earth as a man to teach, heal, prophesy, and finally to be crucified. His sacrifice paid the price for the sins of mankind. Three days later, He was raised from the dead and now lives forever in heaven.

Through His sacrifice, every person has the opportunity not to perish but to spend eternity with God. We must put our trust in Jesus Christ and receive Him as Lord and Savior.

1. Jesus Is God

In the beginning, before time began, Christ already existed with God. John later explains that “the Word became flesh and dwelt among us” (John 1:14). Jesus is God in the flesh.

Jesus Christ is unique. He was God from all eternity, yet He joined Himself to humanity in the incarnation. The God-man possessed all the attributes of deity and all the attributes common to humanity, apart from sin.

He will exist forever as the God-man in His resurrected body.

2. Jesus Is the Son of God

According to the Bible, the title “Son of God” means that Jesus is fully God and is one of the three Persons who together are the one God. This truth is called the Trinity: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

3. How Did Jesus Come to Earth?

The best way to understand this is through the word incarnation, a term meaning that Jesus, the eternal Son of God, took on human flesh. The word means “the act of being made flesh” and comes from the truth expressed in John 1:14.

God sent the angel Gabriel to a virgin named Mary in Nazareth. The angel told her that she would give birth to Jesus, who would be called the Son of the Most High and whose kingdom would never end. When Mary asked how this could happen, the angel explained that the Holy Spirit would come upon her and the power of the Most High would overshadow her. The Holy One born to her would be called the Son of God.

The incarnation was accomplished by the creative work of the Holy Spirit in Mary. The eternal Son of God took to Himself a genuine, sinless human nature and was born as a man without surrendering His deity. Joseph and Mary traveled from Nazareth to Bethlehem, where Mary gave birth to Jesus, wrapped Him in cloths, and laid Him in a manger.

4. His Three Primary Names

The three primary names used for the Son of God are Jesus, Christ, and Lord.

• Jesus
  Means “Jehovah is the Savior.” It is His human name, linking Him with the humanity He came to save. On earth He served as Prophet, Healer, and Teacher.
• Christ
  Means “Anointed One.” It is His Messianic name, linking Him with the prophecies He came to fulfill and with His priestly work of atoning for sin.
• Lord
  Links Him with deity and points to His Kingship. He is worthy of our worship, obedience, and surrender.

Before His crucifixion, He was commonly known as Jesus. After His resurrection and ascension, He was proclaimed as Christ. When He returns, He will come as Lord to reign. He is simultaneously all three and has been throughout history.

5. Jesus Created the World

Jesus did not begin at Bethlehem. He existed before creation, and through Him all things were made.

6. Jesus Christ Is the Savior of the World

Any time we disobey God, it is sin. The penalty for sin is death, and all sin is ultimately committed against an eternal and holy God. What we need to be saved from is eternal separation from Him.

God, in His love, wants us to live. He sent His Son to save the world. Jesus Christ came to die in our place. Because He lived without sin, only He was qualified to pay for our sins through His death on the cross. He demonstrated His power over death when He rose from the grave three days later.

Only through Jesus can we be saved. Through Him our sins can be forgiven and we can come to God.

7. Jesus Performs Miracles

Throughout His ministry on earth, Jesus performed miracles that demonstrated His authority and compassion.

• Matthew 8:16: He cast out evil spirits and healed the sick.
• Mark 4:39: He controlled the wind and the sea.
• Matthew 14:14–21: He multiplied food to feed a great crowd.
• Matthew 17:24–27: He provided money when it was needed.
• John 11:38–44: He raised Lazarus from the dead.
• Acts 3:12–16: Even after ascending to heaven, He continued working miracles through His followers.

8. Jesus Changes Lives

People who followed Jesus turned away from their sins. He delivered Mary Magdalene from seven demons, and she became a devoted follower who told others about Him. Zacchaeus, a dishonest tax collector, repaid those he had cheated and gave generously to the poor.

For nearly 2,000 years, Jesus Christ has been changing lives throughout the world. He can change your life as well: delivering you from sin’s power, renewing your mind, healing your hurts, and giving you a new purpose.

9. Jesus Lives in Heaven at the Father’s Right Hand

After Jesus rose from the dead, He ascended to heaven and sat at the right hand of God. From there He intercedes for us.

10. Jesus Will Return to Judge Humanity

While He was still on earth, Jesus said that people would see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. When Jesus returns, He will judge humanity and separate those who have received Him from those who have rejected Him.