Who is Jesus Christ, and what has He done for us? These questions are at the heart of the Christian faith. The Bible reveals Jesus Christ as the eternal Son of God who became a man without ever ceasing to be God. He came to show us what God is like, to save us from our sins, to die and rise again, and to return to heaven where He now cares for all who trust in Him.
The Eternal Son Who Became Man
Jesus Christ did not begin to exist when He was born in Bethlehem. He is the eternal Son of God. John 1:1 says, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” Before His birth and before creation itself, the Son was with the Father and was fully God.
Yet the eternal Son became truly human. John 1:14 declares, “And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us.” Jesus became a man without ceasing to be God. He was not partly God and partly man; He was fully God and fully man. In Jesus, God came near to us in a way we could see, hear, and know.
Jesus was conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary. The angel told Mary, “The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee” (Luke 1:35). His birth was a miraculous work of God and revealed that Jesus is the holy Son of God.
Jesus Shows Us God
Because Jesus is the eternal Son who became flesh, He makes God known to us. In His words, actions, compassion, holiness, and perfect obedience, we see the character of God. Jesus did not merely bring a message about God; He is God revealed in human flesh.
When we look at Jesus, we see the One who welcomes the weary, shows mercy to sinners, confronts hypocrisy, comforts the grieving, and calls people to turn from sin and trust in God. He shows us both God’s holiness and God’s love.
Jesus Came to Save Sinners
The Lord Jesus Christ came into the world to save sinful men and women. Sin brings guilt and separates us from God, and no human effort can remove that guilt. We do not simply need to become better people; we need forgiveness and peace with God.
Jesus met that need through His death on the cross. He died for us and in our place, bearing the judgment our sin deserved. This is what is meant when we say that His death was a substitutionary sacrifice: Jesus took the place of sinners. He willingly gave Himself to rescue us from sin and bring us back to God.
The Bible uses the word redemption to describe this rescue. To redeem means to buy back or set free. Through His death, Jesus paid the price to set sinners free from sin’s guilt and judgment. His sacrifice is sufficient to provide salvation for all who trust in Him (Romans 3:24-25; Ephesians 1:7; 1 Timothy 4:10; Hebrews 2:9).
When God justifies someone, He declares that person righteous because of faith in Jesus Christ. This does not mean the person has never sinned. It means that, because of Christ’s sacrifice, God no longer counts that person’s sin against them and receives them as righteous through faith.
Jesus Rose Again
After Jesus died, He rose from the grave. The word resurrection means rising from the dead, and Jesus’ resurrection was literal and physical. He did not merely live on in the memory of His followers, and His resurrection was not only a spiritual idea. The same Jesus who was crucified truly rose again.
Jesus’ resurrection shows that His sacrifice was accepted and that His work of saving sinners was complete. Romans 4:25 says that He “was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our justification.” Because Jesus lives, those who trust in Him have a living hope and the assurance that God will keep His promises.
First Peter 1:3-5 describes this as a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. Believers have an inheritance reserved in heaven and are kept by the power of God through faith. The resurrection is not only something we celebrate; it is the foundation of our hope and our future resurrection.
Jesus Ascended into Heaven
After His resurrection, Jesus ascended bodily into heaven. Acts 1:9-10 records that His disciples watched as He was taken up, and a cloud received Him out of their sight. His ascension was not the end of His work. It marked His return to the Father and the beginning of His ministry in heaven.
Jesus is now exalted at the right hand of God. This speaks of honor, authority, and rule. The One who humbled Himself to become man and suffered on the cross is now glorified above all. His resurrection and ascension show that He is Lord and that His saving work has been victorious.
Jesus Our High Priest
In heaven, Jesus serves as our High Priest. Hebrews 9:24 tells us that Christ has entered heaven itself to appear in the presence of God for us. He is not distant from His people. He represents us before the Father and continues to care for those who belong to Him.
Jesus is our Representative, Intercessor, and Advocate. As our Representative, He stands for us before God. As our Intercessor, He represents us before the Father and continually intercedes for us. As our Advocate, He speaks on behalf of those who trust in Him. Romans 8:34 says that Christ is at the right hand of God and “also maketh intercession for us.”
Hebrews 7:25 assures us that Jesus is able to save completely those who come to God through Him, because He lives forever to make intercession for them. Our confidence does not rest on our own goodness or strength. It rests on the living Christ, who finished the work of saving us and continues to care for His people.
What Should We Believe About Jesus Christ?
Jesus Christ is the eternal Son of God who became a man without ceasing to be God. He was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the virgin Mary, lived in perfect holiness, died on the cross in the place of sinners, rose bodily from the dead, ascended into heaven, and now ministers as our exalted High Priest.
He came to show us God and save sinful people. His sacrifice is sufficient, His resurrection is real, His authority is supreme, and He continually cares for those who trust in Him. Our hope is not resting on a religious system or on our own performance. It is resting on the Son of God who loves us, gave Himself for us, conquered death, and lives forever.
Jesus Christ: Our Redeemer and Living Hope
The person and work of Jesus Christ stand at the center of the gospel. He is truly God and truly man. He died for our sins, rose again, ascended to the Father, and now represents and intercedes for His people.
There is no greater comfort than knowing that the One who came to save us is also the One who lives to keep us. Look to Jesus Christ in faith. Trust in what He finished on the cross, rest in His resurrection, and draw near to God through Him.