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Who is Jesus?

The central belief of Christians is that Jesus was completely human and completely God. That means he has both our nature, and God’s nature.

The Bible’s gospels – the books Matthew, Mark, Luke and John – provide us with accounts of Jesus’ birth, ministry, death and resurrection. These accounts were written by his early followers, and can help us to understand more about Jesus’ life and the impact he had on the world.

Jesus’ birth, life, death and resurrection

Centuries before Jesus was born, Isaiah wrote in the Old Testament of the Bible of a sign that would be sent by God: ‘The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel’ (Isaiah 7:14). Immanuel is a Hebrew name, meaning ‘God with us’.

Around 700 years later, sometime between 6 and 4BC, Jesus was born in a town called Bethlehem in Israel. His mother, Mary, a virgin, had discovered that she was pregnant after an angel appeared to her and revealed that she would bear God’s Son.

After Jesus was born, a group of angels appeared to a group of shepherds. They told the shepherds:

'Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.' (Luke 2:11 and 12)

After they’d heard this, the shepherds went to find Jesus. Later some wise men came to worship Jesus, believing his birth to be of significant spiritual importance.

This scene can often be found in the nativity story at Christmas time, a time where Christians celebrate the birth of Jesus.

Around the age of 30, Jesus left his hometown and began his ministry. The book of Luke says:

'Jesus returned to Galilee in the power of the Spirit, and news about him spread through the whole countryside. He was teaching in their synagogues, and everyone praised him.' (Luke 4:14 and 15)

Jesus began teaching people about God and his love for them, and how to live in a way that was pleasing to him. Preaching social justice in a way that was unheard of in ancient Israel, he urged his listeners to care for the individuals that society usually ignored or persecuted, such as widows and poor people.

He told everyone to:

Love their enemies.
Stop judging others.
Forgive those who did wrong.
Share their wealth with whoever needed it.

Another way in which Jesus caught the attention of the crowds was through his miracles. He restored sight to blind people with a touch, calmed a thunderous storm with words, and fed a crowd of thousands of people with a handful of loaves and fish. He even raised his dead friend, Lazarus, back to life! Jesus’ miracles of power and compassion, coupled with radical and life-changing teaching in which he referred to God as his Father, left many of his followers pondering the question: could Jesus really be God’s Son?

While Jesus attracted many followers, there were some Jewish leaders who disapproved of his teachings and wanted to silence him. They feared Jesus’ popularity was growing beyond their control and that his followers may start a revolution. They also knew that if word got back to Rome of political unrest in Israel, the consequences would be severe.

For 30 pieces of silver, one of Jesus’ disciples, called Judas, agreed to help the religious leaders arrest him. Jesus was put on a mock trial and, even though the Roman governor found no fault in Jesus, he was sentenced to death. From there, Jesus was taken to a place called Golgotha, and there he was crucified. The book of John tells us:

'Carrying his own cross, he went out to the place of the Skull (which in Aramaic is called Golgotha). There they crucified him, and with him two others—one on each side and Jesus in the middle.' (John 19:17 and 18)

Christians remember the death of Jesus on Good Friday.

Read about the death of Jesus in John 19

Two days after Jesus died, he rose to life. The Bible tells us that when a small group of women went to his tomb, they found it empty. An angel told them:

'He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay.' (Matthew 28:6).

Later, the resurrected Jesus appeared to his followers, telling them to spread the message of God’s love for all people across the world. It was a love vast enough to forgive all wrongdoing, a love powerful enough to overcome death, and a love which offered believers eternal life.

Then, Jesus was taken up to Heaven – and Christians began telling his story everywhere. To this day, they continue to do so.

Christians celebrate the resurrection of Jesus on Easter Day.