WHO IS JESUS?
No human has left their mark on history like Jesus of Nazareth. But who is he?
For some, he’s nothing more than a teacher who said and did a lot of good and helpful things. For others, he’s God in human form. So which is it?
In the Bible, Jesus was a teacher who taught people about God, God’s world, and how to live in relationship with God within the world he created. But beyond that, Jesus said he was God; that mysteriously and powerfully, God himself had become human in the person of Jesus of Nazareth.
One of his early followers, writing about Jesus, explained it like this:
15 The Son [Jesus] is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. 16 For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him. 17 He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. 18 And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy. 19 For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, 20 and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross. - Colossians 1:15-20
The fullness of God dwelled in Jesus because he was God. The one who created all things and holds all things together in the universe, this divine, eternal being, became human in the person of Jesus of Nazareth. And not only that, but he died and rose again so that we could have a life with God both now and forever.
And so - who is this Jesus? He’s God. He lived on earth as a human, in a body just like ours. He knows what it’s like to be human. He’s what the Jewish people called the Messiah - the long awaited king of Israel and the world who has come and ushered in a new era of history he called the kingdom of God.
This is who Jesus is. And you can know him and enjoy life with him.
NOTHING BETTER: YOU WERE MADE BY JESUS AND FOR JESUS.
START FOLLOWING HIM TODAY.
GOD’S STORY IS GOOD NEWS
01 … It begins with God … Creating us to live in his image as reflectors of his goodness in a beautiful relationship with God in a beautiful world. everything is right. like we long for. perfect intimacy.
02 … betrayal. But the original couple sabotaged the relationship, abandoned God’s way for their own and turned intimacy into alienation. Humanity is now fallen. None of us lives as we ought. This is called sin. The good world is infected by it. Frustration and death become mixed into our common experience.
03 … anticipation. but all is not lost. We are meant to hope. Though we abandoned God, God did not abandon us. He calls out a people and prophets and through them promises a blessing, the hope of a Saviour who would restore and rescue us.
04 … pursuit. At God’s appointed time in history, Jesus came. the promised deliverer is revealed as God himself in the person of Jesus coming for us by stepping into our humanity. The unique son of God spoke truth, modeled love, dispensed grace, granted forgiveness, and offered life in all of its fullness ….
05 … he did this by sacrifice. Love’s greatest act. Jesus, died in our place on a Roman Cross, taking upon himself the guilt and punishment of our sin and making us right with God. How can we be sure? God raised Jesus from the dead. He is alive today and offers life to all who would receive it …
06 … invitation. Now God invites us to come back to him by turning from living life our way and trusting in Jesus and his way instead. Through faith in Jesus we are freely forgiven and receive his power to live. Receiving Christ opens the door to life in all its fullness…
07. … reunion. The climax of the story is yet to come. Jesus will return to make all that is wrong right. He will judge all with perfect fairness. Those who have rejected Jesus will not enter into the life to come. But all those who believe will enter into a new and perfect world enjoying intimacy with God and each other forever.
If you have come to the place where you believe this story, and the person of Jesus Christ whom it presents as God and Saviour, the most important step you could ever take in your life is to turn from living independently of him and surrendering your life to him.
You can do this by saying the following prayer:
“Lord Jesus, I want to know you personally.
I admit that I have sinned against God and I'm separated from him.
Thank you for dying on the cross for my sins in order to bring me back to God.
I put my trust in you and ask you to be my Saviour and Lord.
Thank you for giving me eternal life and making me a part of the family of God.
Take control of my life,
fill me with your Spirit,
and make me the person you created me to be.”
Amen.”
NOW WHAT?
If you prayed that prayer and meant it, you have become a Christian.
You might not feel different, but the fact is that you are different.
Jesus has forgiven you and come into your life.
God tells us: "If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved. As Scripture says, “Anyone who believes in him will never be put to shame.” (Romans 10:9-11 NIV)
We’d love to come alongside you as you move towards knowing and following Jesus from this day forward.
A helpful message to get you started:
Below, you'll see 3 helpful links. One of them ("168 Discipleship") leads to a page that outlines our strategy and vision for helping you over the lifelong process of developing and growing as a follower of Jesus.
