Who Is Jesus Christ?

The world knows that 2,000 years ago a man named Jesus Christ (circa 4 B.C.–A.D. 33) came from Nazareth in what is now called Israel.?The name?Jesus?is derived from the Hebrew-Aramaic word?Yeshua, meaning “Yahweh [the Lord] is salvation.” The name?Christ?is a title for Jesus. It comes from the Greek word “Christos,” meaning “the Anointed One,” or “Messiah” in Hebrew.

Who is Jesus Christ?? What makes Him unique? Why does this one Man stand out above all others? Dr. John Blanchard estimated that since the dawn of civilization, about 60 billion people have walked planet Earth. Of those, only a handful made an impression that changed the world. Of that handful, one stands head and shoulders above all others. His name is Jesus.

Jesus has received more attention, devotion, criticism, and opposition than any person who has ever lived. His every recorded word has been analyzed and debated—more than all the historians, philosophers, and scientists put together. After 2,000 years, never a minute passes that millions are not studying His words. Think about it. He lived in a tiny land two millennia ago, yet His birth divides our calendar into BC and AD.

He never wrote a book, yet libraries could be filled with volumes written about the Lord Jesus. He never painted a picture, yet the world’s greatest artists have painted Him. Jesus of Nazareth has inspired the world’s greatest dramas, music, and literature. He had no formal education, yet thousands of schools, medical colleges, and universities have been built in His name. The great historian Kenneth Scott Latourette said, “Jesus has had more effect on the history of mankind than any other of its race who ever existed.” To explain Jesus is impossible. To ignore Him is disastrous. To reject Him is fatal.

For more than two thousand years every major and minor event in history had to be considered through the prism of Jesus. Many of the great pieces of art and literature in the East and Western tradition have connections to the life and legacy of Jesus. Of course, you have Leonardo da Vinci’s “The Last Supper” and “The Transfiguration” by Raphael, two of the most famous Renaissance paintings of Jesus. Also, many of the paintings of impressionist painter Vincent van Gogh were inspired by his deep faith in Jesus Christ. The same could be said of many of history’s great writers, such as Augustine of Hippo, Fyodor Dostoyevsky, C. S. Lewis, and J. R. R. Tolkien. Nearly?2.5 billion people on Earth?claim adherence to the Christian faith. That is close to one in three people on Earth.?

Jesus never raised an army and yet, multiplied millions have been martyred for Him. He never travelled far from His birthplace, yet His testimony has gone around the world. He had only a handful of followers, but they changed the world beyond comprehension. He had a public ministry of only three years, yet here we are, 2000 years later, saying “Jesus, your name is unique, matchless, and amazing. ??

New Testament scholar Craig Blomberg notes there are around a dozen references to Jesus in non-Christian sources in the early centuries of the common era. These sources include the writings of the historian Josephus, the Talmud, and various Greek and Roman writings.

The most famous and important historical sources about Jesus come from Christian sources. These sources represent the people and the traditions that knew Jesus best. Of course, they include the Gospels, which are accounts of Jesus’s life written by his followers. It also includes other New Testament writings that describe the life of Christ and what it meant for his followers within a few decades of his death. Jesus Christ is the central figure of the History and the Bible. The Old Testament points to his arrival. The New Testament describes his manifested and magnificent life and the meaning of his life.

According to the Bible, Jesus Christ is the incarnate Word of God, fully human and fully divine, Creator and Savior of the World. Bible also calls him, the “Son of God” which means: ?He is fully God. He is one of three persons who together make up the One God. This concept is called the “Trinity.” The Bible tells us that Jesus is the "only Son of God," (John 3:18) and that He was both fully human and fully divine. Jesus is the creator of all things. He could not be created because all things were created by Him.

The eternal Son of God already existed in heaven (John 17:5). Through the power of the Holy Spirit (Matthew 1:20), He was born as a human being, who was then named Jesus (Matthew 1:25). To demonstrate that Jesus was not a mere man (Colossians 2:9), God chose a virgin to give birth to Him (Luke 1:34-35). The Son of God, Jesus Christ, came to earth to die in our place. Because He lived a life without sin, only He was qualified to pay for our sins by His death on the cross. He then demonstrated His power over death when He rose from the grave three days later. Our faith in Jesus begins with the fact that He was raised from the dead. The foundation of Christianity is the Death, Burial, and Resurrection of Jesus,?1 Corinthians 15:1-4. Why is Christ’s resurrection unique??Because He’s the only one who didn’t die again.?In Scripture, all others who rose from the dead died again. Jesus was the glorious?exception. His testimony stands: “I was dead…I am alive for ever” (Rev 1:18).?He alone ascended into Heaven to represent us before God. He alone has the power to resurrect you when you die.

?The resurrection of Christ is not just a matter of fact, which can be taken lightly--it is a matter of eternal life or death. The resurrection is not simply a fact to be believed or rejected, it is a fact to which our response will determine our eternal destiny. The resurrection was God’s proof that the Lord Jesus was Who He claimed to be: the Son of God (Romans 1:4). Only through Jesus can our sins be forgiven and we can come to God (Acts 4:12). Jesus Christ is the Savior of everyone in the world (John 3:16).

Christ's accomplishments are too numerous to list. Scripture teaches that he was conceived of the?Holy Spirit?and born of a virgin. He lived a sinless life. He turned?water into wine?and healed many sick, blind, and lame people. He forgave sins, multiplied fish and loaves of bread?to feed thousands?on more than one occasion, delivered the demon-possessed,?walked on water, calmed the stormy sea, and?raised people?from death to life. Even after leaving the earth, He still does miracles in people’s lives (Acts 3:12-16).

Jesus Christ proclaimed the?good news?of the?Kingdom of God. He called 12 Jewish men to follow him, working closely with them to train and prepare them to carry on the ministry. People who followed Jesus turned away from their sins. When followers were filled with the power of the Holy Spirit, they were able to declare the message of Jesus, perform miracles, and live free from sin (Luke 10:1-20).

The Son of God, Jesus Christ, came to earth to die in our place. Because He lived a life without sin, only He was qualified to pay for our sins by His death on the cross. He then demonstrated His power over death when He rose from the grave three days later. Only through Jesus can our sins be forgiven and we can come to God (Acts 4:12). Jesus Christ is the Savior of everyone in the world (John 3:16). Jesus Christ paid for the sins of the world and purchased the pardon of men. He restored man's fellowship with God, opening the way to?eternal life. These are just a few of his extraordinary accomplishments.

The Name Jesus is mentioned more than 1,200 times in the?New Testament. His life, message, and ministry are recorded in the four?Gospels?of the New Testament:?Matthew,?Mark,?Luke, and?John.

Scripture reveals that Jesus Christ was not only fully God but fully man. He became a human being so that he could identify with our weaknesses and struggles, and most importantly so that he could give his life to pay the penalty for the sins of all humankind (John 1:1,14; Hebrews 2:17; Philippians 2:5-11). After Jesus rose from the dead, He ascended to heaven to the place where he was before becoming human. From there he can hear our prayers (Romans 8:34).

The Apostle Peter tells us that Jesus was God’s plan from the start. Even before Adam’s sin created our need for a savior, God was at work. Peter writes, “[Jesus] was foreknown before the foundation of the world but was revealed in these last times for you” (1 Pet 1:20). Centuries before his birth, the prophets had told of Jesus’s entrance into the world from the womb of a virgin.

John wrote about Him: In the beginning was the Word [poetic description of Jesus], and the Word was with God and the Word was God (John 1:1 ESV). He created the world and all that is in it (John 1:3). The religious leaders of his time understood that Jesus claimed to be God (John 5:17-18). Paul wrote that when Jesus died, the Father revealed to the entire world that He was God (Philippians 2:5-11).

Above all, it’s worth our time to look into the life of Jesus because of the nature of Jesus’s claims. Other historical figures may have had enormous impact on the events of their day. But then they died. Jesus tells us in the Bible that what we say about him today matters —over two thousand years later. Jesus says in?John 14:6–7: “I am the way, the truth, and the life.

For nearly 2,000 years, Jesus Christ has been changing the lives of people all over the world. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come (2 Corinthians 5:17). He can change your life as well. Jesus will deliver you from sin’s addiction (Romans 6:22), renew your mind (Romans 12:2), and heal your hurts (2 Thessalonians 2:16-17).

Note what historians, scientists, scholars, writers, political leaders, and others—past and present—have said about the man from Nazareth, Jesus Christ:

“It would require much exotic calculation, however, to deny that the single most powerful figure—not merely in these two millenniums but in all human history—has been Jesus of Nazareth.”—Reynolds Price, American writer and Bible scholar.

“A man who was completely innocent offered himself as a sacrifice for the good of others, including his enemies and became the ransom of the world. It was a perfect act.”—Mohandas K.?Gandhi, political and spiritual leader of India.

“As a child, I received instruction both in the Bible and in the Talmud. I am a Jew, but I am enthralled by the luminous figure of the Nazarene.”—Albert Einstein, German-born scientist.

“Jesus Christ, to me, is the outstanding personality of all time, all history, both as Son of God and as Son of Man.?Everything He ever said or did has value for us today, and that is something you can say of no other man, alive or dead.”—Sholem Asch, Polish-born essayist as quoted in?Christian Herald;?italics theirs.

“For thirty-five years of my life I was, in the proper acceptation of the word, nihilist, a man who believed in nothing. Five years ago my faith came to me. I believed in the doctrine of Jesus Christ and my whole life underwent a sudden transformation.”—Count Leo Tolstoy, Russian novelist and philosopher.

“[Jesus’] life is the most influential ever lived on this planet and its effect continues to mount.”—Kenneth Scott Latourette, American historian and author.

Apostle Paul said You are the image of the invisible God for God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in you. You are the Christ and in you, all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form. (Colossians 1:15,19 and 2:8)”. Book of Hebrews says “You are the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being (Hebrews 1:3).

?One of His disciples Simon Peter said to Jesus, “You are the Christ, the Son of the Living God.” Consider Martha, who hosted Jesus many times and observed Him in all sorts of situations. Martha said, “I believe that You are the Christ, the Son of God”.

The Nicene Creed tells us he is: “One Lord Jesus Christ, the Only Begotten Son of God, born of the Father before all ages. God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God, begotten, not made, consubstantial with the Father; through him all things were made.” If anyone deserves to be our model in life, it is Jesus Christ.

Jesus has been acclaimed as the greatest religious leader who ever lived, as being the most influential person to have lived on our planet, and as being unique to the degree that no one can be compared to Him. Human speech is too limited to describe Him, the human mind too small to comprehend Him, and the human heart can never fully absorb who Jesus Christ is. To explain Jesus Christ is impossible, to ignore Jesus Christ is disastrous, and to reject Him is fatal.

The predominant theme of the Scriptures is the Person and the work of Jesus Christ. He is God. He became a human being, died by crucifixion, and was buried. He rose again from the dead. He is the only, all-sufficient Savior of the world. He will come again to this earth. Jesus’s ministry lasted only for three years, and yet His Word and His influence change lives today. Jesus is not a good way to Heaven or the best way to Heaven. Jesus is the only way to Heaven.

Jesus said, whoever comes to me I will never cast out (John 6:37). This was why He came to earth—to seek and to save the lost (Luke 19:10). It does not matter what you have done, Jesus still loves you. He said I have not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance (Luke 5:32).

All the above calls for our response, especially when Christ is the only way to God?(John 14:6; Acts 4:12). Your response to Christ and His completed works will determine the life you live now, and that which is to come. If you have never repented and believed in Jesus Christ, I suggest that you humble yourself now before your Creator and put your trust in Him. If you have already trusted Christ, I encourage you to give your life to serving Him and making Him known to the world around you.

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