STEP 2 OF 10
WHO IS JESUS?
Jesus is at the center of Christianity. Christians do not simply believe that Jesus was a wise teacher who gave good advice. The New Testament presents Him as the Son of God, the promised Messiah, the Savior who died for our sins, rose from the dead, and is Lord.
About Pictures of Jesus
No one today knows Jesus’ exact earthly appearance. Paintings, films, and illustrations are artistic interpretations. Revelation 1 describes the glorified Christ using powerful symbolic imagery; it should not be treated as a precise description of Jesus’ earthly hair, skin, or facial features.
1. Jesus Is the Son of God
The title “Son of God” does not mean Christians believe God created Jesus in the same way He created us. The New Testament presents Jesus as sharing the divine nature and existing before His human birth. He entered human history, was born, lived among us, and revealed God to us.
Jesus is also called the Messiah, which means “Anointed One.” The Greek title Christ carries the same idea. “Jesus Christ” is not a first and last name in the modern sense. It identifies Jesus as the promised Christ, the One God sent.
2. Jesus Came to Show Us the Father
People often ask, “What is God like?” Christians look to Jesus. His compassion, truth, holiness, mercy, courage, and love show us the character of God. Jesus welcomed people others ignored, challenged hypocrisy, forgave sins, cared for the suffering, and spoke truth even when it was unpopular.
Jesus did not come merely to give us information about God. He came to bring us into relationship with the Father.
3. Jesus Came to Live Among Us
Jesus experienced real human life. He knew hunger, tiredness, grief, rejection, friendship, pressure, temptation, and pain. Christians believe He was fully human and yet without sin. Because He entered our world, faith is not about a God who cannot understand human suffering from a distance.
The Gospels—Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John—tell the story of Jesus’ life, teaching, death, and resurrection. If you are just beginning to learn about Him, reading one Gospel is one of the best places to start.
4. Creation, the Garden, and Sin
To understand why Jesus came, we have to understand what went wrong. Genesis describes God creating humanity for relationship with Him. Adam and Eve were given freedom and responsibility, but they chose disobedience. Sin entered human experience, bringing separation, brokenness, and death.
The Bible also describes a spiritual enemy called Satan, who opposes God and deceives people. But Christianity does not teach that Satan is equal to God. God is Creator; Satan is a created being. Evil is real, but it is not God’s equal and it will not have the final word.
The New Testament compares Adam and Christ. Through Adam, sin and death entered. Through Jesus, God offers righteousness and eternal life. Jesus came to do what we could not do for ourselves.
5. Why Did Jesus Die?
Jesus’ death was not an accident that ended His mission. It was central to His mission. The Bible teaches that Jesus gave Himself for our sins. On the cross, He took upon Himself the judgment our sin deserved so that forgiveness and reconciliation with God could be offered to us.
The cross shows both the seriousness of sin and the depth of God’s love. God did not pretend sin did not matter. He dealt with it through Christ. Jesus suffered bodily, shed His blood, and gave His life so that sinners could be forgiven and brought near to God.
6. Jesus Rose Again
Christian faith does not end at the cross. The New Testament proclaims that Jesus physically rose from the dead. The resurrection is the heart of Christian hope. Jesus is not simply a teacher whose ideas survived after His death. Christians believe He is alive.
Because Jesus rose, death does not have the final word. The New Testament connects His resurrection with the future resurrection of believers and the promise of eternal life. Revelation also presents Jesus as having authority over death and the grave.
7. Jesus Is Savior and Lord
To call Jesus Savior means we trust Him to rescue us from sin and bring us back to God. To call Him Lord means He is not only someone we ask for help when life becomes difficult. He has rightful authority over our lives.
Following Jesus means learning to trust Him, obey Him, and allow Him to shape how we live. We do not make Him Lord by voting Him into that position; we recognize who He is and respond to Him.
8. What Does Jesus Mean for My Life Today?
Jesus is not only part of ancient history. Christians believe He is alive, that He intercedes for believers, and that He will return. Following Him changes how we understand God, ourselves, forgiveness, purpose, relationships, suffering, and the future.
Jesus said that He is the way to the Father. Christianity makes an exclusive claim here: reconciliation with God comes through Christ. That claim should never be used as an excuse to treat other people with arrogance or disrespect. Christians are called to speak truth with love and to treat every person with dignity.
Try This: Meet Jesus in the Gospel of John
This week, begin reading the Gospel of John. Do not rush. As you read, ask three questions: What does this show me about Jesus? What does Jesus say about God? What response does this invite from me?
Take a Moment
Before moving on, sit quietly for a minute. Think about what stood out to you. You do not have to understand everything at once. Growth often begins with one truth that you are willing to keep thinking about and living out.
Prayer
A Simple Prayer
Jesus, I want to know You, not only know facts about You. Help me understand who You are, why You came, what Your death and resurrection mean, and what it looks like to follow You. Lead me into truth. Amen.
Remember
Keep This With You
Jesus is the Son of God, the promised Christ, Savior, and Lord. He lived among us, died for our sins, rose again, and is the only way to the Father.
Continue the Journey → Step 3: What Does It Mean to Be Saved