Jesus

Jesus of Nazareth is the central figure of the Christian faith — the Son of God, the promised Messiah, and, as the Gospels proclaim, God incarnate. "The Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us" (John 1:14). His life, death, and resurrection are the heart of the Bible's story of redemption.

Incarnation and birth

Born to the virgin Mary in Bethlehem in fulfillment of prophecy (Micah 5:2; Matthew 1:23), Jesus entered human history as a descendant of Abraham and David (Matthew 1:1). The angel announced, "thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins" (Matthew 1:21). He grew up in Nazareth in the household of Mary and Joseph the carpenter.

Ministry

About the age of thirty, Jesus was baptized by John, and the Father declared, "This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased" (Matthew 3:17). He proclaimed the kingdom of God, taught with authority (the Sermon on the Mount, the parables), healed the sick, raised the dead, and welcomed sinners. He called twelve apostles and revealed Himself in great "I am" sayings — "I am the bread of life," "the light of the world," "the way, the truth, and the life" (John 14:6).

The cross

Rejected by the religious leaders and handed over to Rome, Jesus was crucified at Jerusalem. The Gospels present His death as the willing, atoning sacrifice for sin: "the Son of man came… to give his life a ransom for many" (Mark 10:45), fulfilling Isaiah 53. "Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures" (1 Corinthians 15:3).

Resurrection and exaltation

On the third day He rose from the dead, appeared to His disciples, and commissioned them to make disciples of all nations (Matthew 28:19). He ascended to the Father, and the New Testament proclaims that "God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name" (Philippians 2:9). Christians await His return as King and Judge.

Who He is

The New Testament confesses Jesus as fully God and fully man — Creator (John 1:3), Savior (Acts 4:12), and Lord (Romans 10:9). "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life" (John 3:16).