Who is Jesus in Christianity?

The question of who is Jesus is one which has been asked countless times by millions people from all walks of life.

In almost every major religion Jesus is understood to be a prophet, a good teacher or a holy man. However, in Christianity, Jesus is understood to be much more than any of those things.

Who is Jesus in Christianity?

The central belief of Christians is that Jesus is completely human and completely God. That means he has both our nature, and God’s nature. This idea of Jesus’ identity comes from the Bible, especially from four books of the Bible known as the Gospels, Matthew, Mark., Luke and John. These books are biographies of Jesus’ life, from his birth through to his resurrection. They were written by eye-witnesses who would have spent a considerable amount of time with Jesus.

Throughout these four books Jesus makes several bold claims regarding his identity.

Times Jesus claims to be God

In John 10:30 He states, ‘I and the Father are one.’ Here Jesus is saying to the crowd around him that he is God. This incensed the crowd and they began to stone him ‘for blasphemy, because you, a mere man, claim to be God.’ (John 10:33). Jesus, despite their reaction, never corrects them.

In the book of Mark, Jesus once again claims he is God, in Mark 2:5-7 he forgives a man of his sins. Again, it is clear from the reaction of the crowd that he was claiming to be God incarnate and they say: ‘Why does this fellow talk like that? He’s blaspheming! Who can forgive sins but God alone?’ (Mark 2:7)

Another time Jesus says that he and God are one is in John 8:58, he says: ‘Before Abraham was, I am.’ Here Jesus is saying here that he was alive before someone who lived thousands of years before, or in other words, he claims to be pre-existent, a trait only God has. He also finished his statement by referring to himself as ‘I am’ which is a name the Jewish crowd would have associated with God (see Exodus 3:14). Once again, the crowd’s reaction tells us that they believed Jesus was claiming to be God too.

Alongside various claims around Jesus’ identity the Gospels – provide us with accounts of Jesus’ birth, ministry, death and resurrection. These accounts can help us to understand more about Jesus’ life and the impact he had on the world.

Jesus' birth, life, death and resurrection

Jesus' birth

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.

Jesus' ministry

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?

Jesus' death

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

Jesus' resurrection

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.